8.7 magnitude earthquake near Russia prompts tsunami alerts in Alaska, Hawaii Alerts were also issued for Japan and Guam. By Leah Sarnoff July 29, 2025, 8:35 PM 1:07 What is an earthquake?An earthquake is caused when two blocks of Earth's crust slip past each other on a fault plane, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Tsunami alerts were issued for Alaska and Hawaii on Tuesday after a major, 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia, according to officials. The earthquake occurred about 85 miles off the east coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula with a depth of nearly 12...