Great
Earthquakes In Diverse Places
Canada: Earthquakes shake B.C.'s Vancouver Island,
Saltspring
By Sam Cooper, The Province February 16, 2011
An earthquake hit Vancouver Island and Salt Spring Island Tuesday
morning, almost three weeks after The Great British Columbia Shake
Out, aimed to educate the public on what to do during an
earthquake.
There was some shaking and waking happening on the south coast
this morning, as a 2.9 magnitude earthquake rumbled the area for
the second time in a week.
The earthquake, just high enough on the Richter scale to be felt,
happened at 6:47 a.m. with the epicentre 38 kilometres southwest
of Richmond. The quake happened 19 kilometres underground, and was
felt by residents in Duncan and on Saltspring Island, according to
reports.
Last week, a 3.2-magnitude quake occurred in roughly the same
area, about 80 kilometres south of Vancouver. It rumbled from
almost 51 kilometres beneath the earth’s surface, the U.S.
Geological Service said.
The service says earthquakes at about 3.0 on the Richter scale
just reach the threshold that can be felt.
B.C. held an earthquake preparedness drill on Jan. 26, and experts
say the province is overdue for a major earthquake.