Truemors
(CNN) A magnitude 6.1 earthquake has rocked Vancouver Island, Canada, today according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
More details to follow.
An unusually large swarm of tremors is rocking the ocean floor off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Since Tuesday, 17 quakes in the four to five magnitude range centred about 200 kilometres west of Port Hardy have been detected.
Earthquake scientist Garry Rogers with the Geological Survey of Canada said quake swarms happen several times a year in that area, but this one is lasting longer, and the earthquakes are larger, than normal.
"It's just a reminder that we live in a very active area, and that immediately west of Vancouver Island is where new ocean crust is being born, and where we would call a very active geological environment."
The largest so far has been a magnitude 5.2 quake on Aug. 27 at 1:17 p.m. PT, but likely none were felt by anyone on shore, said Rogers.
"The earthquakes are too far off shore to be felt, and they are way too small to cause any tsunami or wave action," he said.
A magnitude 3.4 quake on July 30 west of Seattle in Puget Sound was felt by residents of Vancouver Island.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/08/27/bc-quake-swam-west-coast.html?ref=rss
(CNN) -- A magnitude 6.1 earthquake has rocked Vancouver Island, Canada, Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The temblor's epicenter was located about 95 miles (153 kilometers) west-southwest of Port Hardy, British Columbia, and about 293 miles (472 kilometers) west-northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia.
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake is classified as "strong," the USGS Web site says, capable of causing considerable damage.
The quake was the latest of about two dozen temblors of magnitude 4 or above to strike in the area in the past 48 hours, according to the USGS. A 5.2-magnitude quake was the largest of those, striking the same area Wednesday.
Vancouver Island sits off Canada's west coast. Its main city of Victoria sits at its southern end
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