Russia’s magnitude 8.8 earthquake spawned serious tsunami warnings, but waves have been moderate so far. Here’s the geological reason why

Drone footage shows the aftermath of the waves after they hit Severo-Kurilsk, a Russian town in the country's Kamchatka Peninsula, north of Japan. Tsunami waves also reached Hawaii, where an evacuation order was lifted after a tsunami warning was downgraded to an advisory, and in Alaska, Washington, California, and the West Coast overnight.

Regional authorities in one region declared an emergency after a tsunami hit the Kuril Islands, and the Kamchatka Peninsula was watching for volcanic activity.