Magnitude 4.0 earthquake strikes off coast of Haida Gwaii

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck the coast of Haida Gwaii, BC on Monday evening according to the US Geological Survey.

The seismic event took place at 9:51 PST and had an epicentre 217.3 km southwest of Prince Rupert and 313.8 km southwest of Terrace.

The depth of the earthquake was very shallow at only 10 km.

Thousands of earthquakes occur in the province every year, but only a small fraction have a magnitude of 3.0 and over.

In December 2019, a string of nine earthquakes struck the coast of British Columbia over a three-day span.

The seismic activity began on Monday, December 23, when six earthquakes were recorded within a 12-hour period.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 and over is considered a seismic event with significant destructive potency, especially if it were to hit with a shallow depth near population centres.

With files from Vincent Plana 

See also:

• 13 earthquake safety steps to follow when the ground starts shaking
• 43 things every Vancouverite needs in their earthquake emergency kit
• Here’s how Vancouver would be impacted by a major earthquake (MAP)