A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake has set off tsunami alerts in Alaska, Hawaii, and throughout the Pacific Ocean.

The quake struck near the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky region, off Russia’s east coast Thursday at 2:58pm ET.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s tsunami alert system reports that Hawaii faces potential danger from waves caused by the recent earthquake.

Two tsunami watches have been issued for Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, which is the closest US territory to Thursday’s eruption.

This advisory in Alaska covered an area from Attu to the Amchitka Pass, which are 125 miles west of Adak, Alaska.

People in these areas should avoid beaches, harbors, and low-lying coastal areas and stay alert for updates Thursday evening as the waves arrive.

Meanwhile, a tsunami with waves one to three feet high is expected to reach Hawaii Thursday night.

According to AccuWeather, the earliest these waves would reach the state would be 8:51pm ET.

The earthquake (blue dot) struck near Russia’s Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky region at 2:58pm ET

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake has struck near Russia’s east coast, triggering tsunami warnings in Alaska and Hawaii

Currently, NOAA’s warning for Hawaii remains at an advisory level, indicating the chance of minor waves or strong currents, though significant flooding is not anticipated.

No alerts have been issued for the US West Coast, given that San Francisco, California, approximately 4,300 miles from the earthquake’s origin, is unlikely to experience seismic waves.

Conversely, in Russia, residents near the earthquake’s center are on heightened alert as predicted tsunami waves could range from three to 10 feet high.

This could cause more significant coastal flooding or damage, especially in low-lying areas.

A tsunami is a series of large ocean waves caused by a sudden disturbance in or near the sea, like an earthquake or volcanic eruption.

These waves can travel across entire oceans and cause flooding and damage when they hit coastlines.

Tsunamis differ from regular waves by their capacity for extreme length and power, sometimes exceeding 10 feet in height, similar to those expected on the Russian shoreline.

This summer, the Kamchatka Peninsula has seen numerous significant earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.4 event on September 13 and a severe magnitude 8.8 quake on July 29.

Russia’s Foreign Office issued an urgent warning following a huge 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia on July 29 (pictured)

Millions were placed under tsunami advisories after the July quake, including residents in Japan, Hawaii, and the US West Coast. 

The US Geological Survey (USGS) called Thursday’s 7.8 earthquake a giant aftershock of the larger quake that struck on July 29. It’s the largest recorded aftershock linked to that event near Russia’s coast.

USGS added that the major quake was triggered by a type of movement called reverse faulting, where two massive pieces of the Earth’s crust push against each other.

In this area, the Pacific Plate has been sliding under the North American Plate at a speed of about three inches per year. 

This movement happens along a huge underground boundary called the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone. 

Four additional earthquakes have already struck the region since the 7.8 magnitude quake struck, all of them registering over 4.6 in magnitude.