British Columbia Earthquakes

No M1.5+ British Columbia earthquakes have been recorded in the past 24 hours.

Map of Current Earthquakes Across British Columbia

British Columbia is Canada’s most earthquake-prone province. Activity is concentrated along the Pacific coast, around Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii. But earthquakes are also recorded beneath the Lower Mainland, within the Coast Mountains and across parts of the interior.

This map shows the latest British Columbia earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 and above. The list, map and statistics update whenever the page loads or refreshes. For the latest quakes across Canada, including smaller locally detected events, visit our earthquakes in Canada page.

Select a coloured circle to see the earthquake’s magnitude, location, UTC and depth. The map controls let you switch between events recorded during the last hour, 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days.

British Columbia earthquakes (map loads with JavaScript)

Coverage note Regional boundaries are approximate. Offshore earthquakes may be described using the nearest island, coastal community, ocean ridge or plate boundary. Events near Alaska, Washington or outside provincial waters may still appear when they are close enough to affect British Columbia.

Why British Columbia Has Several Kinds of Earthquakes

British Columbia’s earthquake activity comes from more than one fault or plate boundary. The province sits at a complex meeting point of the Pacific, North American, Juan de Fuca, and Explorer plates. These plates converge, slide past one another, and pull apart in different locations, producing several distinct types of earthquakes.

Earthquakes Canada describes western Canada as one of the few places where subduction, sideways plate movement and seafloor spreading occur close together. This helps explain why earthquakes around Haida Gwaii can behave differently from those beneath Vancouver Island or the Lower Mainland.

Cascadia Is Only Part of the Story

• Cascadia megathrust earthquakes — West of Vancouver Island, the Juan de Fuca Plate is being forced beneath the North American Plate. Much of the boundary is locked, allowing strain to accumulate between major ruptures. A sufficiently large rupture could produce prolonged shaking and a destructive tsunami.
• Earthquakes inside the descending plate — The Juan de Fuca Plate continues beneath Vancouver Island and the Strait of Georgia. Earthquakes within this sinking plate can begin tens of kilometres underground and produce shaking across a broad area, including Greater Victoria and Metro Vancouver.
• Shallow crustal earthquakes — Faults within the North American Plate can produce earthquakes close to the surface. These events may be smaller than a Cascadia megathrust earthquake but can cause severe local damage if they occur near a populated area. The destructive 1946 Vancouver Island earthquake was a shallow crustal event.
• Queen Charlotte Fault earthquakes — West of Haida Gwaii, the Pacific Plate moves northwest past the North American Plate along the Queen Charlotte Fault. This is primarily a strike-slip boundary, although compression along its southern section also allows thrust faulting and tsunami-generating earthquakes.
• Explorer Plate earthquakes — The offshore region west and northwest of Vancouver Island contains the small Explorer Plate and several spreading ridges and fracture zones. Frequent earthquakes occur where these young pieces of oceanic crust interact.

Earthquake Risk Changes Across the Province

Haida Gwaii and the north coast lie beside the Queen Charlotte Fault, which has generated some of Canada’s largest recorded earthquakes. The area can experience powerful strike-slip earthquakes, thrust earthquakes, and locally generated tsunamis.

Vancouver Island sits closest to the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Its west coast faces the greatest direct tsunami exposure from a Cascadia rupture, while communities across the island can also be affected by shallow crustal earthquakes and deeper events within the descending Juan de Fuca Plate.

Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley are farther from the offshore plate boundary, but distance doesn’t remove the risk. The region contains a large population, major ports, bridges, and other essential infrastructure. Soft sediment can also change the way the ground behaves. The British Columbia Geological Survey explains that loose sandy soils may liquefy while thick deposits of softer material can amplify earthquake shaking.

Earthquakes become less frequent farther inland, but the interior isn’t earthquake-free. Events occur through the Coast Mountains, central and northern British Columbia, the Rocky Mountain Trench, and areas near the Alberta and Yukon boundaries. Some are related to stresses transferred through the North American Plate rather than a nearby surface plate boundary.

Why Earthquake Magnitude Does Not Tell the Whole Story

An earthquake far offshore may reach magnitude 6 or greater without causing damage on land. A smaller shallow earthquake beneath a community could be much more disruptive. The outcome depends on depth, distance, fault movement, local geology, building construction, and shaking duration.

Ground conditions matter particularly in river valleys, reclaimed coastal land, and deltas. Strong shaking can cause water-saturated sediment to lose strength through liquefaction. Mountain communities face a different combination of hazards, including rockfalls, landslides and blocked transportation routes.

Magnitude also doesn’t determine tsunami risk by itself. An offshore earthquake must displace enough seawater, usually through vertical movement of the seabed, to generate a substantial tsunami. Large strike-slip earthquakes dominated by sideways movement may produce less water displacement than smaller thrust earthquakes.

British Columbia’s Defining Earthquakes Through Time

British Columbia’s earthquake record combines modern instruments, written reports, geological evidence and knowledge preserved in First Nations oral histories. Magnitudes assigned to older events are estimates, particularly when the earthquake occurred before a regional monitoring network existed.

• 2024 earthquake south of Haida Gwaii — A magnitude 6.5 earthquake on September 15 was lightly felt on Haida Gwaii, northern Vancouver Island and parts of the north coast. It caused no reported damage and wasn’t expected to generate a tsunami, but it became an important monitoring milestone when Canada’s new earthquake early-warning system issued its first public alert. Earthquakes Canada records the event and affected areas.
• 2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake — The magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred off the west coast of Moresby Island on October 27 local time. Unlike the predominantly sideways rupture of 1949, this earthquake involved thrust movement and generated a tsunami. It was felt across much of north-central British Columbia and was followed by numerous strong aftershocks. The official Earthquakes Canada event report documents the earthquake and resulting tsunami warning.
• 1929 and 1970 earthquakes south of Haida Gwaii — Magnitude 7.0 and 7.4 earthquakes struck the offshore plate-boundary region south of Haida Gwaii. Their remote locations limited their effects on populated communities, but both demonstrate that large earthquakes repeatedly occur along the complicated transition between the Queen Charlotte Fault and the plate boundaries west of Vancouver Island. They are included in the federal list of important Canadian earthquakes.
• 1949 Haida Gwaii earthquake — The magnitude 8.1 earthquake ruptured nearly 500 kilometres of the Queen Charlotte Fault. It remains the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in Canadian history. Severe shaking toppled chimneys, shattered windows and damaged structures on Haida Gwaii and the mainland, although the region’s sparse population limited casualties. Earthquakes Canada describes the rupture and observed effects.
• 1946 Vancouver Island earthquake — A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck beneath central Vancouver Island near the Forbidden Plateau on June 23. It damaged buildings and toppled many chimneys around Courtenay, Cumberland, Union Bay and Comox. Damage was also reported in Port Alberni, Powell River and other communities, and two deaths were associated with the event. It remains Canada’s largest recorded onshore earthquake. The federal historical account includes damage descriptions and photographs.
• 1918 Vancouver Island earthquake — This approximately magnitude 7 earthquake occurred near the west coast of Vancouver Island shortly after midnight on December 6. It damaged the Estevan Point lighthouse and a wharf at Ucluelet and awakened people throughout Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver. Earthquakes Canada preserves the contemporary observations.
• 1872 northern Washington earthquake — The exact location and magnitude remain uncertain, with modern estimates generally placing it around magnitude 6.5 to 7.4. Although its epicentre was probably in northern Washington, strong shaking frightened residents in Victoria, New Westminster and Yale and was felt as far north as Quesnel. The Canadian historical summary explains why estimates differ.
• 1700 Cascadia megathrust earthquake — At about 9 p.m. on January 26, an estimated magnitude 9 earthquake ruptured roughly 1,000 kilometres of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. First Nations oral histories preserve accounts of prolonged shaking, landslides and devastating coastal flooding on Vancouver Island. The tsunami crossed the Pacific and was recorded in Japan, allowing researchers to establish the date and approximate time. Earthquakes Canada reconstructs the event from historical and geological evidence.

British Columbia’s Tsunami Risk

A major Cascadia earthquake could produce a local tsunami that reaches parts of Vancouver Island’s outer coast quickly. Earthquakes around Haida Gwaii, Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, Japan, Kamchatka and other Pacific margins can also send tsunami waves toward British Columbia.

The level of exposure differs greatly between coastal communities. The open Pacific coast of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii faces a different hazard from communities inside the Strait of Georgia. Local inlets, bays and underwater slopes can also alter wave height and current strength.

If you’re near the coast and experience strong shaking or shaking that lasts a long time, protect yourself during the earthquake and then move to higher ground as soon as it stops. Don’t wait for an official warning. The Province of British Columbia maintains tsunami notification zones and evacuation guidance for coastal communities.

How Earthquakes Are Detected in British Columbia

Earthquakes Canada operates seismic stations and publishes earthquake locations, magnitudes and felt reports. Offshore instruments, university research networks and monitoring systems operated by organizations such as Ocean Networks Canada add information from locations that are difficult to observe using land stations alone.

Canada’s Earthquake Early Warning system began operating in British Columbia in 2024. It detects an earthquake after rupture has begun and estimates where potentially harmful shaking is heading. Alerts may provide seconds or tens of seconds of warning, but locations close to the earthquake may receive little or no advance notice. The system cannot predict when an earthquake will occur. Natural Resources Canada explains how the warning system works.

What to Do When the Ground Starts Shaking

Drop to your hands and knees, take cover beneath a sturdy table or desk if one is nearby, and hold on until the shaking stops. Keep away from windows, unsecured furniture and objects that could fall. Don’t run outside while the ground is moving.

If you’re already outside, move away from buildings, walls, signs and power lines. After the earthquake, expect aftershocks and check for hazards such as damaged wiring, gas leaks, broken glass and unstable structures.

Coastal residents should know their local tsunami zone and evacuation route before an earthquake happens. PreparedBC recommends making a household emergency plan, securing heavy objects and keeping emergency supplies and grab-and-go bags accessible. Read the provincial earthquake preparedness guidance and our own earthquake safety guide.

Related Earthquake Maps

Canada Earthquakes | Eastern Canada Earthquakes | Washington Earthquakes | Alaska Earthquakes | North America Earthquakes