The eruption occurred after a huge earthquake struck Russia’s Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that caused small tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and prompted warnings for Hawaii, North and Central America and Pacific islands south toward New Zealand.

Tsunami alerts were issued for Alaska and Hawaii on Tuesday after a major, 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia, according to officials.

The moment seismologists got word that a magnitude 8.8 earthquake had struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, they felt an acute sense of anxiety. It did just that in 1952, when a magnitude 9.0 quake effortlessly washed away a nearby Russian town while also causing extensive damage in far-off Hawaii.