Earthquakes Canada says a 4.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded Sunday afternoon and public reports poured in from hundreds of kilometres away from the eventB次元官网网址檚 epicentre.
John Cassidy, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, says people over a B次元官网网址渧ery wide regionB次元官网网址� 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 quakeB次元官网网址檚 epicentre.
He says it hit a remote region about 222 kilometres north-northwest of Vancouver.
EARTHQUAKE Mag=4.9 on 17 Dec at 15:23 PST.
B次元官网网址� Earthquakes Canada (@CANADAquakes)
Details :
137 km WNW of Pemberton, BC
Many residents across the province took to social media, sharing their experiences on various platforms.
Among them are Comox Valley residents Lia Lavoie-Bartlett and Jessica Labbe.
B次元官网网址淚t really wasnB次元官网网址檛 much,B次元官网网址� Lavoie-Bartlett said. B次元官网网址淢y daughter had fallen asleep on me on the couch and I felt a low rumble. I have felt other earthquakes in the past and this was very mild. I wondered if it was something going on in the lower units of my apartment but then saw the Facebook post!B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e were at home and heard our cupboards rattling a bit,B次元官网网址� Labbe said. B次元官网网址淚 was sitting down at the time and felt a slight back and forward movement. It was fairly short.B次元官网网址�
Cassidy says seismic events in that part of the province are B次元官网网址渞elatively rare,B次元官网网址� with the last quake in the area around the same magnitude hitting in 2017. He says SundayB次元官网网址檚 quake wasnB次元官网网址檛 a complete surprise since the provinceB次元官网网址檚 coastal areas are an active earthquake zone, but the largest and most frequent earthquakes occur offshore.
B次元官网网址淔or this size of an earthquake, aftershocks are expected,B次元官网网址� Cassidy said in an interview. B次元官网网址淚n fact we are recording a number of small aftershocks at this time. So the largest that weB次元官网网址檝e seen so far is about a 2.6 magnitude.B次元官网网址�
Cassidy said aftershocks can happen hours or even days after such quakes, but tend to drop off in frequency B次元官网网址渁s time goes on.B次元官网网址�
He said SundayB次元官网网址檚 earthquake was minor in the B次元官网网址済lobal scheme of things,B次元官网网址� but said itB次元官网网址檚 important to be prepared for earthquakes nonetheless. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really a good reminder that we are in an active earthquake zone,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey donB次元官网网址檛 happen very often, but when they do happen, itB次元官网网址檚 important to know what to do, to drop, cover and hold on.B次元官网网址�
Cassidy said the province is getting an early-warning system for earthquakes thatB次元官网网址檚 been under development by Natural Resources Canada, similar to systems in place in California, Oregon, Washington, Japan and Mexico.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a very successful undertaking,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 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 itB次元官网网址檚 an opportunity, you know, in hospitals for surgeons to put down their scalpels.B次元官网网址�
