An 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula shook the Pacific, but its tsunami fizzled. A geologist explains why.

One of the most powerful earthquakes in history triggered a tsunami that made landfall in Russia, Japan and the US.

The strongest earthquake since 1952 hit Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula sending a 4m high tsunami towards Hawaii and triggering alarms across the Pacific on July 30. The strongest seismic event in the region in over 70 years caused US authorities to order the evacuation of coastal areas in Hawaii and inbound planes were turned back to Los Angeles