Russia quake map
© Volcano Discovery
The large quake hit Russia's Kamchatka peninsula region on the country's far-east coast, over 6,200 km from Moscow. Specifically, the earthquake struck just 22km West North-West of Esso, Russia, which has a population of around 1,900, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

The EMSC said the quake hit at a depth of 320km - nearly 200 miles - at around 03:41 UTC, or 04:41 UK time.

There are no reports of damage or injuries at the time of writing.

However, there have been at least 14 reports of people feeling the quake, according to EMSC.

Accounts vary widely, with some reporting stronger feelings of shaking than others, with the duration of the quake also reported differently amongst people.

One, who said they were over 330km from the epicentre, said they experienced a "sharp short jolt" on their fourth floor residence.

Another, from Ust'-Kamchatsk Staryy 254km away, said the earth was "shaking smoothly for a long time."

Another person in Vilyuchinsk, 338km away, claimed: "I didn't feel anything."

CSEM puts the strength of the magnitude at 6.4 - revised upwards from its previous figure of 5.9.

Under the Michigan Tech University's Earthquake Magnitude Scale, the quake measures around the middle of the "strong" range.

It warns strong earthquakes can cause "a lot of damage in very populated areas" while moderate quakes can cause "damage to buildings and other structures."

Such strong earthquakes are relatively rare, with around 100 taking place each year compared to 900,000 earthquakes measuring under 2.5 on the scale.

According to VisitRussia, the Kamchatka region is "the most seismically active place on the planet."

Earthquakes are common there, and the geothermal activity has led to natural phenomena such as volcanoes, hot springs and geysers.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a large city and eastern outpost of Russia, has a population of 187,000.

The reason the Kamchatsky peninsula is so active in terms of earthquakes is because it is located in a zone of intense seismic activity known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The Ring of Fire is a long belt sometimes described as horseshoe-shaped which stretches around coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean.

It is dotted with more than 450 volcanoes both active and dormant.

This accounts for around 75 percent of all the volcanoes in the world.

The area is also known for its earthquakes, due to the boundaries of the tectonic plates along the line's length.

The Ring of Fire has been home to major seismic events through history, including the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in 1980 and the Krakatoa eruption of 1883, according to Britannica.