Cluster of earthquakes off B.C. coast ‘business as usual,’ seismologist says

A British Columbia seismologist says there’s nothing dangerous or unusual about a recent flurry of earthquake activity off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Twelve earthquakes have been recorded off coastal B.C., in an area known to researchers as the Juan de Fuca ridge, since Wednesday afternoon.

The quakes have varied in intensity, with the largest on Wednesday registering a magnitude of 4.7, followed by a 5.7-magnitude quake Thursday morning, according to estimates from the United States Geological Survey.

The recent tremors have all been clustered in an area approximately 150 to 250 kilometres from the popular tourist destination of Tofino.

No tsunami threat is expected as a result of the seismic activity, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s tsunami warning system, which issues tsunami alerts and information for the continental U.S. and Canada.

Andrew Schaeffer, an earthquake seismologist with the Geological Survey of Canada, says that despite the uptick in seismic activity, the quakes are “business as usual” for the region.

“These are spreading ridge earthquakes, with historical magnitudes up to about 6, but 4s and 5s are relatively common,” he said in an emailed statement to CTV News.

“Due to the type of earthquake, these do not typically produce any sort of tsunami, nor would we expect them to be felt, let alone cause damage, on Vancouver Island.”

All of the earthquakes occurred at an approximate depth of 10 kilometres, according to authorities.