Natural Resources Canada recorded
a Magnitude 6.2 Earthquake at a depth of 2.2 km, beneath the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park in northwestern British Colombia, slightly before 7.20 am local time (slightly
before 2.20 pm GMT) on Monday 1 May 2017. There are no reports of any
damage or casualties associated with this event, but people have
reported feeling it across much of northwest British Columbia and the southern parts of the Yukon Territory and Alaska. The area has been hit by a number of aftershocks since the original event.
Northwest British Columbia lies on the North American Plate, close to the Queen Charlotte Fault, along which the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath North America. This is not a smooth process, with the plates constantly sticking
together then breaking apart as the tectonic stresses build up, something we experience as Earthquakes.
Map showing the boundary between the Pacific and North American Plates alomg the coast of British Columbia. Irving et al. (2012).
Witness reports can help geologists to understand the processes going on
in Earthquakes and the structures in the rocks that cause them. If you
felt this quake you can report it to Natural Resources Canada here.
See also...
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