4 quakes strike within 4 hours off Vancouver Island, no damage or injuries
There were no reports of damage or injuries after four earthquakes struck within four hours off the northwest end of Vancouver Island on Monday.
The tremors began as minor quakes, but grew stronger as the morning turned to afternoon.
Earthquakes Canada said the tremors measured at magnitude:
- 5.1 (8:44 a.m. PT).
- 5.6 (11:13 a.m.).
- 5.8 (11:49 a.m.)
- 6.0 (12:56 p.m.).
All four originated in the Pacific Ocean, more than 100 kilometres off Port Hardy, B.C., at a depth of about five kilometres.
Earthquakes Canada said there were no tsunami warnings, no reports of damage or injuries, and none would be expected from quakes that size.
Area is hot spot for quakes, seismologist says
Andrew Schaeffer, a seismologist with Earthquakes Canada, says they had received no reports of anyone feeling the
quakes.
«You’d have to be ready and waiting, and expecting to feel it. It would be pretty hard to distinguish it from a big truck driving by a few hundred metres away.»
- What happens if a catastrophic earthquake hits the West Coast? Listen to Fault Lines, a CBC podcast, to find out
Schaeffer said the area in the Pacific off Vancouver Island is a hot spot for quakes, with magnitude 5 ones recorded several times a year.
He said Monday’s quakes happened in the Winona Basin, a northern piece of the Juan de Fuca plate that broke off at some point.
