Story by Mike Raptis • 7h
A 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck the west coast of B.C. on Sunday afternoon, approximately 137 kilometres northwest of Pemberton. (Earthquakes Canada)© Provided by Vancouver Sun
A 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck the west coast of B.C. on Sunday afternoon, approximately 137 kilometres northwest of Pemberton.
The earthquake, which happened around 3:30 p.m., could be felt on northern and central Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and parts of Greater Vancouver
John Cassidy, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, says people over a “very wide region” of the province have reported feeling the earthquake.
Cassidy said the quake was felt as far away as Kelowna, more than 350 kilometres from the quake’s epicentre.
Cassidy says seismic events in that part of the province are “relatively rare,” with the last quake in the area around the same magnitude hitting in 2017. He says Sunday’s quake wasn’t a complete surprise since the province’s coastal areas are an active earthquake zone, but the largest and most frequent earthquakes occur offshore
“For this size of an earthquake, aftershocks are expected,” Cassidy said. “In fact we are recording a number of small aftershocks at this time. So the largest that we’ve seen so far is about a 2.6 magnitude.”
Cassidy said aftershocks can happen hours or even days after such quakes, but tend to drop off in frequency “as time goes on.”
There have been no reports of damage or injuries so far.
Earlier this month, a magnitude 3.1 earthquake was felt in parts of the B.C.’s Okanagan region.
B.C.’s earthquake and tsunami guide says there are an average of 3,000 quakes reported in the province every year.
The guide says most of them are too small to be felt, but tremors strong enough to cause structural damage typically happen once every 10 years.
However, B.C. is at risk from what is often called “the big one” — a megathrust temblor that could occur offshore where the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate is being forced under the North American plate — as well as from fault lines that run through the Pacific Northwest.
With files from Canadian Press and Glenda Luymes
Earthquakes Canada receives hundreds of reports in B.C. after 4.9 magnitude quake
Sun, December 17, 2023
VICTORIA — Earthquakes Canada says a 4.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded Sunday afternoon and public reports poured in from hundreds of kilometres away from the event's epicentre.
John Cassidy, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, says people over a "very wide region" of the province have reported feeling the earthquake, which hit just before 3:30 in the afternoon.
Cassidy says the quake was felt by people across northern and central Vancouver Island, and as far away as Kelowna, more than 350 kilometres from the quake's epicentre.
He says it hit a remote region about 222 kilometres north-northwest of Vancouver.
Cassidy says seismic events in that part of the province are "relatively rare," with the last quake in the area around the same magnitude hitting in 2017. He says Sunday's quake wasn't a complete surprise since the province's coastal areas are an active earthquake zone, but the largest and most frequent earthquakes occur offshore.
"For this size of an earthquake, aftershocks are expected," Cassidy said in an interview. "In fact we are recording a number of small aftershocks at this time. So the largest that we've seen so far is about a 2.6 magnitude."
Cassidy said aftershocks can happen hours or even days after such quakes, but tend to drop off in frequency "as time goes on."
He said Sunday's earthquake was minor in the "global scheme of things," but said it's important to be prepared for earthquakes nonetheless. "It's really a good reminder that we are in an active earthquake zone," he said. "They don't happen very often, but when they do happen, it's important to know what to do, to drop, cover and hold on."
Cassidy said the province is getting an early-warning system for earthquakes that's been under development by Natural Resources Canada, similar to systems in place in California, Oregon, Washington, Japan and Mexico.
"It's been a very successful undertaking," he said. "It's the type of automated system that would let you know that an earthquake has occurred and that shaking is on its way, and so the farther away you are, the more time that you would have. So it's an opportunity, you know, in hospitals for surgeons to put down their scalpels."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2023.
Sun, December 17, 2023
VICTORIA — Earthquakes Canada says a 4.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded Sunday afternoon and public reports poured in from hundreds of kilometres away from the event's epicentre.
John Cassidy, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, says people over a "very wide region" of the province have reported feeling the earthquake, which hit just before 3:30 in the afternoon.
Cassidy says the quake was felt by people across northern and central Vancouver Island, and as far away as Kelowna, more than 350 kilometres from the quake's epicentre.
He says it hit a remote region about 222 kilometres north-northwest of Vancouver.
Cassidy says seismic events in that part of the province are "relatively rare," with the last quake in the area around the same magnitude hitting in 2017. He says Sunday's quake wasn't a complete surprise since the province's coastal areas are an active earthquake zone, but the largest and most frequent earthquakes occur offshore.
"For this size of an earthquake, aftershocks are expected," Cassidy said in an interview. "In fact we are recording a number of small aftershocks at this time. So the largest that we've seen so far is about a 2.6 magnitude."
Cassidy said aftershocks can happen hours or even days after such quakes, but tend to drop off in frequency "as time goes on."
He said Sunday's earthquake was minor in the "global scheme of things," but said it's important to be prepared for earthquakes nonetheless. "It's really a good reminder that we are in an active earthquake zone," he said. "They don't happen very often, but when they do happen, it's important to know what to do, to drop, cover and hold on."
Cassidy said the province is getting an early-warning system for earthquakes that's been under development by Natural Resources Canada, similar to systems in place in California, Oregon, Washington, Japan and Mexico.
"It's been a very successful undertaking," he said. "It's the type of automated system that would let you know that an earthquake has occurred and that shaking is on its way, and so the farther away you are, the more time that you would have. So it's an opportunity, you know, in hospitals for surgeons to put down their scalpels."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2023.
Minor 4.9-magnitude earthquake rattles B.C.'s Coast Mountains
CBC
Sun, December 17, 2023
A minor 4.9 magnitude earthquake, about 222 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, shook B.C.'s Coast Mountains on Sunday, according to Earthquakes Canada.
CBC
Sun, December 17, 2023
A minor 4.9 magnitude earthquake, about 222 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, shook B.C.'s Coast Mountains on Sunday, according to Earthquakes Canada.
(Datawrapper, Arrthy Thayaparan/CBC - image credit)
Residents in many areas of B.C. reported feeling the effects of a minor earthquake that struck in B.C.'s Coast Mountains, about 220 kilometres north of Vancouver on Sunday afternoon.
Earthquakes Canada says the quake was recorded at 3:23 p.m. PST and registered at a magnitude of 4.9, but so far there are no reports of damage or secondary impacts, such as landslides.
John Cassidy, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, says earthquakes are a relatively rare occurrence for the central part of the province's coastal mountain range, with the last being a 4.1 magnitude quake in 2017.
"It appears to be a relatively shallow earthquake and with a number of small aftershocks so far ... in the magnitude one-to-two-and-a-half range," he said, adding aftershocks can happen hours or even days after such quakes, but tend to drop off in frequency "as time goes on."
Cassidy says people over a "very wide region'' of the province have reported feeling the earthquake, which hit a remote region roughly 150 kilometres northwest of Whistler.
Reports came in from people across northern and central Vancouver Island, and as far away as Kelowna, more than 350 kilometres from the quake's epicentre.
Lara Lares says she and her mother were in their kitchen at home in the Nemiah Valley, about 40 kilometres from the epicentre, when they felt the sudden jolt.
"We had a lot of horses in our backfield that started running all of a sudden, like full sprinting from one end of a field to the other and like back again," said Lares, whose family runs Flying L Ranch, a horse rescue and ranch.
"All of a sudden we felt the earth shake ... All of our plants were shaking, like the walls were shaking."
Lara Lares (left) and her family run Flying L Ranch in the Nemiah Valley, about 40 kilometres from the epicenter of Sunday's earthquake. (Lara Lares)
Lares says while the earthquake only lasted four to five seconds with no damage to their property, the family and horses are still shaken in the aftermath.
"I've never felt so unsteady while standing on solid ground," she said.
"My dogs were a little nervous ... and [the horses] were pretty jumpy and kept their distance."
Cassidy says Sunday's earthquake was minor in the "global scheme of things,'' but said it's important to be prepared for earthquakes nonetheless.
"It's really a good reminder that we are in an active earthquake zone,'' he said.
"They don't happen very often, but when they do happen, it's important to know what to do, to drop, cover and hold on.''
Residents in many areas of B.C. reported feeling the effects of a minor earthquake that struck in B.C.'s Coast Mountains, about 220 kilometres north of Vancouver on Sunday afternoon.
Earthquakes Canada says the quake was recorded at 3:23 p.m. PST and registered at a magnitude of 4.9, but so far there are no reports of damage or secondary impacts, such as landslides.
John Cassidy, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, says earthquakes are a relatively rare occurrence for the central part of the province's coastal mountain range, with the last being a 4.1 magnitude quake in 2017.
"It appears to be a relatively shallow earthquake and with a number of small aftershocks so far ... in the magnitude one-to-two-and-a-half range," he said, adding aftershocks can happen hours or even days after such quakes, but tend to drop off in frequency "as time goes on."
Cassidy says people over a "very wide region'' of the province have reported feeling the earthquake, which hit a remote region roughly 150 kilometres northwest of Whistler.
Reports came in from people across northern and central Vancouver Island, and as far away as Kelowna, more than 350 kilometres from the quake's epicentre.
Lara Lares says she and her mother were in their kitchen at home in the Nemiah Valley, about 40 kilometres from the epicentre, when they felt the sudden jolt.
"We had a lot of horses in our backfield that started running all of a sudden, like full sprinting from one end of a field to the other and like back again," said Lares, whose family runs Flying L Ranch, a horse rescue and ranch.
"All of a sudden we felt the earth shake ... All of our plants were shaking, like the walls were shaking."
Lara Lares (left) and her family run Flying L Ranch in the Nemiah Valley, about 40 kilometres from the epicenter of Sunday's earthquake. (Lara Lares)
Lares says while the earthquake only lasted four to five seconds with no damage to their property, the family and horses are still shaken in the aftermath.
"I've never felt so unsteady while standing on solid ground," she said.
"My dogs were a little nervous ... and [the horses] were pretty jumpy and kept their distance."
Cassidy says Sunday's earthquake was minor in the "global scheme of things,'' but said it's important to be prepared for earthquakes nonetheless.
"It's really a good reminder that we are in an active earthquake zone,'' he said.
"They don't happen very often, but when they do happen, it's important to know what to do, to drop, cover and hold on.''
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