Earthquakes in Canada

I had an alert last night on my phone at 7:21 PM a 4.3 earthquake was 74 miles away!  It was between Port Townsend and Port Ludlow in Puget Sound and 35.5 miles deep.  We were eating Thanksgiving dinner and thankfully didn't feel anything.  

Each year, more than 4,000 earthquakes occur in Canada. Most of these are less than 3.0, but some are very large.

Let's explore some of the largest known earthquakes to occur in the borders of present-day Canada.

1. 1700 Cascadia Earthquake [8.7-9.2]: Occurring on the Pacific Coast, the death total of this quake is unknown but it is likely in the thousands. It also spawned a tsunami that hit Japan.

2. 1949 Haida Gwaii Earthquake [8.1]: This earthquake was felt as far north as the Yukon and as far south as Oregon. Damage was limited and there were no deaths due to the sparse population. 

3. 2012 Haida Gwaii Earthquake [7.7]: This earthquake caused the hot springs at Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve to run dry. They have since begun flowing again.

4. 1970 Haida Gwaii Earthquake [7.4]: This earthquake was felt over 350 kilometres away. Minor damage was reported.

5. 1933 Baffin Bay Earthquake [7.3]: This earthquake is one of the largest ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle. No damage was reported from the quake.

6. 1946 Vancouver Island Earthquake [7.3]: The largest recorded onshore earthquake in Canadian history, it resulted in two deaths. It also triggered several landslides and nearby communities saw 75% of their chimneys toppled.

7. 1929 Newfoundland Earthquake [7.2]: This earthquake resulted in property losses of more than $1 million. The tsunami created by the quake also resulted in the deaths of 28 people.

8. 1663 Charlevoix Earthquake [7.0]: This earthquake was felt across eastern North America. It caused massive landslides that altered the nearby landscape. There were no reported deaths.

9. 1918 Vancouver Island Earthquake [6.9]: Occurring just after midnight, this earthquake woke up people all over Vancouver Island and in Vancouver. Damages was reported in various places, including a steel-reinforced concrete lighthouse.

10. 1985 Nahanni Region Earthquake [6.9]: An unusual location for an earthquake, it alarmed many people who had never experienced a quake before. No structural damage was reported.