A tsunami is not expected after two small earthquakes struck within two hours of each other off the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. The first M4.6 quake struck at around 1:27 p.m. about 166 kilometres (103 miles) west of Port Alice at a depth of 3km (1.9 miles). Then at 2:44 p.m., a second M5.5 earthquake registering at magnitude 5.3 struck 189 kilometres (117 miles) west of Port Alice at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles). Meanwhile, a M6.4 earthquake hit the Philippines just a few hours after the deadly M6.1 earthquake on Easter Monday.
M4.6 and M5.5 earthquakes off Vancouver Island
Officials say a pair of earthquakes off Vancouver Island on Monday were not expected to produce tsunamis.
The first quake registered a magnitude of 4.6, and happened just before 1:30 p.m. PT, about 166 km west of Port Alice. The agency said the earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km.
The second quake happened at about 2:45 p.m. PT, about 190 km west of Port Alice.
A pair of earthquakes ~160 km offshore northern #VancouverIsland this afternoon. The first (M4.6) at 1:27 p.m. PDT and the second (M~5.3) at 2:44 p.m. PDT. No impacts expected from these events. This is a seismically active region – so not unusual
— John Cassidy (@earthquakeguy) April 22, 2019
Details: https://t.co/4oNR7sdfb0 pic.twitter.com/ZtH0jjmxfI
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami was expected from either quake.
Natural Resources Canada earthquake seismologist John Cassidy said the quakes weren’t unusual, as they occurred in a seismically active region. Of course it is close to the Cascadia Subduction Zone!
#Earthquake 5.5 Offshore Vancouver (#Canada) at 21:44:45 UTC, a dextral strike-slip event (Revere-Dellwood-Wilson Transform). pic.twitter.com/UzUfwvDvzE
— Earthscapes? (@EQuake_Analysis) April 23, 2019
Karen Robertson, manager of the Outpost store in Winter Harbour, says she felt the second earthquake, her very first on the island.
“I was sitting just in a chair, doing some reading and I heard the house kind of creak. Then all of a sudden the chair started shaking sideways and I thought I was imagining it but then the TV screen was also moving.“
Robertson said the quake felt like it lasted approximately four or five seconds.
“A very, very weird sensation,” she said. “You feel sick to your stomach for a very short period of time.“
Potential recording of the 5.5 magnitude earthquake at Vancouver Island, Canada. Very weak signal, which makes sense. #earthquake #seismo pic.twitter.com/uIoODQgXQj
— L. Paul Verhage (@nearsys) April 23, 2019
Earthquakes Canada said there we no reports of damage from either quake and none would be expected.
Relatively minor earthquakes are a regular occurrence off Vancouver Island’s coast.
The region is located in an active seismic zone in which two tectonic plates converge, and thousands of earthquakes are recorded annually.
M6.4 earthquake strikes the Philippines
Meanwhile, a M6.4 earthquake hit the Philippines on April 23, 2019, just a few hours after the deadly M6.1 earthquake struckon Easter Monday.
Here the map of felt reports from EMSC:
Map of felt reports received so far following the #earthquake M6.4 in Samar, Philippines 40 min ago pic.twitter.com/bMCDjJv8bw
— EMSC (@LastQuake) April 23, 2019
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[seismecanada, usgs, CTV News]