On 7 January 2015, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake rattled houses in Tofino on Vancouver Island’s west coast shortly after dark. It was one of over 170 quakes to strike the BC coast during the first three weeks of the year. And while this crustal quake caused minimal damage, it gave residents in BC coastal communities good cause to consider their earthquake and tsunami response plans. There is a 1 in 10 chance that the west coast of Canada will experience a megathrust quake—over magnitude 8.4—within 50 years.
ONC’s NEPTUNE ocean observatory stretches hundreds of kilometers across the North American and Juan de Fuca tectonic plates, enabling realtime detection of seismic activity at multiple locations, from the margins of the subduction zone on the continental slope (Clayoquot Slope and Barkley Canyon sites), to mid-plate geodesy (Cascadia Basin), to the active hot vents and new crust forming at the mid-ocean ridge (Endeavour).
The Tofino quake, with an epicentre 30 km beneath the surface, registered on seismometers at all NEPTUNE observatory sites, transmitting live data to ONC’s data and management system, Oceans 2.0, for long-term study and analysis.
Alerts
SHOWING 13 RESULTS
Showing matches for "earthquake"
January quakes cause jitters in British Columbia
Overview
ONC detects M6.1 earthquake near Haida Gwaii
Overview
Seismic sensors on Ocean Networks Canada’s seafloor observatory installed offshore Vancouver Island detected an earthquake in the Northeast Pacific Ocean on the morning of 24 April 13:56:16 UTC (7:00 a.m. PDT)
The magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck offshore the Haida Gwaii Region, with its epicentre about 280 kilometres south west of Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
Megathrust Chilean quake captured on ONC sensors
Overview
On 16 September 2015, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake occurred at 22:54:33 UTC off the Chilean coast, 229 kilometres northwest of Santiago and at a depth of 25 km.
This subduction quake was the result of thrust faulting at the interface of two major tectonic plates, the so-called megathrust, forcing the Nazca plate to push beneath the South American continent.
The size, location, depth and movement of this event are consistent with a megathrust event in Southern Chile. There is a one in 10 chance that the west coast of Canada will experience a similar megathrust quake—over magnitude 8.4—within 50 years.
# Realtime seismic monitoring at ONC
Three Ocean Networks Canada broadband seismometers recorded this event in realtime, 10,500 kilometres from the origin of the quake. These instruments lie buried in sediments at Cascadia Basin, Clayoquot Slope and Endeavour observatory sites off the BC coast.
ONC’s new Earthquake Display, currently under development, shows the selected earthquake (right table), the selected seismometer location (lower table) and the distance between (green line).
All three plots start at the time of the earthquake and have a duration of one hour. At the13-minute mark, ONC seismometers recorded the first ground motion or primary (P) waves caused by the earthquake followed by secondary (S) waves at 24 minutes. P and S waves travel through the earth’s interior while the slower secondary waves travel on the earth’s surface, as their name suggests. As indicated in the time-series above, surface waves usually cause the strongest ground motion.
ONC’s new dashboard tracks earthquakes around the world
Overview
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred at 21:52:02 (UTC) on October 20, 2015, near the Vanuatu Islands in the south Pacific’s volcanically active region located on the Ring of Fire.
Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is delighted to announce a new interactive dashboard that lets you explore recent earthquakes occurring anywhere in the world, like this one, and those right on our doorstep on the west coast of Canada.
Seafloor seismometers that are connected to the ONC observatory in the northeast Pacific detect signals from most major earthquakes, no matter where they originate on the planet.
The dashboard enables you to explore a selection of recent earthquakes based on time, epicentre location and magnitude.
For each earthquake you can see its distance from the ONC seismometers and inspect the seismometer signals indicating the arrival of the earthquake's ground-shaking seismic waves.
South coast communities feel the shake!
Overview
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred in the Strait of Georgia near Sidney, British Columbia, just before midnight (07:39:29 UTC) on 29 December.
Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) seafloor sensors recorded this event, which may be viewed on the [Earthquake Dashboard](http://www.oceannetworks.ca/data-tools/earthquake-data-dashboard).
In addition, three new land-based Nanometrics earthquake early warning sensors also recorded the quake. These seismic sensors, located on northern Vancouver Island, are part of ONC’s "Web-enabled Research Awareness Network” (WARN) system currently under development.
“With additional sensors, WARN has the potential to provide a comprehensive regional early warning system for the southern coast of British Columbia,” notes Benoit Pirenne, Director of User Engagement at ONC.
Making progress on earthquake early warning
Overview
During the night on 27 January 1700, a powerful magnitude 9 earthquake ruptured the Pacific coast along the Cascadia subduction fault zone. Historical records, as far away as Japan, confirm this devastating event.
Fast forward 316 years. Scientists now believe that major fault lines build up pressure over hundreds of years, and eventually release the pressure as a megathrust earthquake. Before that can happen, Ocean Networks Canada is poised to send an advance warning with sensors and software that can detect an earthquake—up to 90 seconds before the major shaking starts.
Earthquake early warning is a vital part of preparing for, and responding to, a major earthquake. It’s about delivering critical seconds of action that will save lives, reduce damage, support emergency response and kick-start recovery operations.
While Pacific nations such as Japan and Taiwan have fully integrated earthquake early warning systems, western North America is still in the building stages. An effective system requires collaboration among leaders and innovators in science, engineering and public safety—organizations such as [Natural Resources Canada](http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/index-eng.php), British Columbia’s [Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure](http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/ministries/transportation-and-infrastructure), Emergency Management BC, the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada and many others.
This concentration of planning is mirrored south of the border where people and government agencies are equally wary of the locked plates of the Cascadia subduction zone, stretching from northern California to British Columbia.
# A key piece in the puzzle: offshore sensors
Ocean Networks Canada operates observatory sites on the Cascadia subduction zone, with a number of seismic sensors sitting on the Juan de Fuca plate, on or close to the major fault line. This proximity allows for faster alerts that can provide coastal communities and urban centres with precious seconds to take action, before the major shaking starts.
More sensors, both on the seafloor and on land, would increase the areas monitored and provide a denser, more effective network, in line with the proven system that blankets Japan.
## Directing disaster info into the right hands with WARN
ONC’s Web-enabled Awareness Research Network (WARN) software platform currently being tested, will deliver notification of impending earthquake shaking —almost immediately—that let emergency decision-makers and automatic safeguard systems take critical actions such as shutting down gas lines, pausing elevators, keeping firehall doors raised, halting surgery, stopping bridge traffic and slowing down trains.
Coordinating data from a number of sensors in different locations, WARN does not just detect events; it also makes measurements such as the severity and epicentre of an earthquake, or the speed and direction of a tsunami.
- WARN: providing rapid notifications to alert communities ([Canada's Advanced Research and Innovation Network brochure](http://www.canarie.ca/software/platforms/warn/))
## Looking to the near future: collaborations are key
British Columbia will be testing its first full scale mock earthquake scenario and immediate response plan in June at Port Alberni, on Vancouver Island. ‘Exercise Coastal Response’ is a million-dollar exercise that will include all levels of government, Indigenous peoples, first responders and other specialists.
ONC also plans to install additional earthquake early warning sensors on land and offshore, during this summer’s Wiring the Abyss expedition.
> “Effective earthquake early warning really is a shared responsibility. We’re all in this together: scientists, engineers and elected officials, plus every family and individual in British Columbia. We have the people and the expertise and the will. Let’s be ready for the big one.” **Kate Moran, ONC President & CEO**
### Related stories:
[Researchers look to improve earthquake warning system](http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/researchers-look-to-improve-earthquake-warning-system-1.2159526) (Victoria Times Colonist, October 2016)
Are earthquakes on the rise?
Overview
With media coverage of the recent earthquakes in [Italy](https://www.usgs.gov/news/magnitude-66-earthquake-italy) (M6.6), [New Zealand](https://www.usgs.gov/news/magnitude-78-earthquake-new-zealand) (M7.8), [Japan](https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/magnitude-69-earthquake-japan-november-21-2016-0) (M6.9), and [Papua New Guinea](https://www.usgs.gov/news/magnitude-79-earthquake-papua-new-guinea) (M7.9), you might be wondering whether earthquake activity is increasing. Long-term earthquake statistics in the last 12 months indicate that it was an average year: there were no earthquakes of M8.0 or higher (one M8.0+ is the annual average) and 19 earthquakes with M7.0 - 7.9 (17 is the annual average). These statistics (Figure 1) show that earthquake activity is not increasing.
Earthquakes shed light on British Columbia’s early warning system
Overview
In September 2017, Ocean Networks Canada's (ONC) seismic sensors collected real-time information on two recent and very different earthquakes: one distant quake off Mexico’s west coast and a much smaller regional event near Ucluelet, British Columbia. Both seismic events provide insight into British Columbia’s earthquake early warning system, currently in development.
# Early warning for Mexico’s magnitude 8.1 earthquake
On 7 September, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off Mexico’s southwest coast near the Guatemalan border. ONC’s sensors detected the seismic waves over 4,700 kilometres away (Figure 1).
Ocean Networks Canada sensors detect earthquake in central Mexico
Overview
NEWS RELEASE
Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) underwater earthquake sensors off the west coast of Vancouver Island detected in real-time the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in central Mexico today.
The sensors—located at Barkley Canyon, Cascadia Basin and Endeavour on and near the Cascadia subduction zone—recorded seismic activity from more than 4,000 kilometres away.
> “Today’s earthquake in central Mexico is yet another reminder and opportunity for British Columbia to ramp up efforts to complete our earthquake early warning system before the ‘Big One’ hits,” says ONC Innovation Centre Business Analyst Teron Moore.
Earlier this month, [ONC sensors also picked up the magnitude 8.1 earthquake](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/news-and-stories/stories/earthquakes-shed-light-on-british-columbias-early-warning-system/) that struck off Mexico’s southwest coast near the Guatemalan border.
In February 2016, the Government of British Columbia [invested $5 million](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/news-and-stories/stories/ocean-networks-canada-to-coordinate-earthquake-early-warning-system-for-bc/) for ONC to develop and install an earthquake early warning system.
British Columbia’s earthquake early warning system is currently in development and will be installed, tested and delivered to Emergency Management BC by March 2019. Once completed, the system will be capable of providing British Columbians with advance warning of a large mega-thrust earthquake occurring at the Cascadia subduction zone.
Unlike Mexico’s land-based sensors, British Columbia’s earthquake early warning system has the advantage of underwater sensors deployed on or near the Cascadia subduction zone. The closer a sensor is to an earthquake’s epicentre, the more advance warning can be provided.
ONC is an initiative of the University of Victoria.
# More Information:
[Ocean Networks Canada Earthquake Data Dashboard webpage](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/data/data-dashboards/earthquake-data-dashboard/)
[Ocean Networks Canada Earthquake Early Warning webpage](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/services/earthquake-early-warning/)
## Media Contact:
onc-comms@uvic.ca
Data from Alaska’s Magnitude 7.9 Earthquake and Tsunami
Overview
On 23 January 2018, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred in the Gulf of Alaska at 1:35 am PT. A tsunami warning was issued for the west coast of Canada and the United States. The tsunami warning was cancelled at 4:40 am PT.
Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) real-time sensors detected the earthquake and the subsequent small tsunami that rippled out across the northeast Pacific (Figure 1).
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