Swarm of quakes strike off the B.C. coast; no tsunami threat
It’s been an active day off the western coast of Vancouver Island where several earthquakes rattled the ocean floor early Thursday.
At least eight quakes were recorded about 250 km west of Tofino late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. The largest quake was a 5.7 recorded before sunrise local time, according to data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Officials reported no tsunami threat associated with any of Thursday’s quakes.
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Seven of the eight earthquakes occurred around 10 km below the seafloor, most of which measured between Magnitude 4.3 and Magnitude 4.6. The epicentres were far enough offshore that nobody felt the shaking on land.
Thursday’s swarm unfolded between the Juan de Fuca and Pacific plates, in one of the most tectonically active regions in North America.
Folks who live along the coast are always advised to remain prepared for earthquakes no matter where or when they may strike.
