Do recent earthquakes in B.C. and California mean we need to brace for the ‘Big One’? Probably not
Posted July 6, 2019 12:40 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — With 6.4 and 7.1 earthquakes in California and recent activity off Vancouer Island — and compelling videos online of fractured roads, and stores littered with fallen merchendise and debris — it’s hard not to think of what could happen if the “Big One” hit.
RELATED: California assessing damage after biggest quake in 20 years
But not to worry: Brent Ward, a seismologist and earth science professor at SFU, says they are not precursors to something bigger here.
“There’s no relationship between the earthquakes we had off the coast and whether or not we’ll get a large subduction-zone earthquake, also known as ‘the Big One,'” he says.
Talked with seismologists Brent Ward and @earthquakeguy about whether we should prepare for the "Big One." Both tell me recent activity in California and off Vancouver Island doesn't point to a large B.C. quake, but should be a reminder to be prepared! #earthquakes @NEWS1130
— Nathan Durec (@ndurec) July 6, 2019
The recent quakes in B.C. are on a different fault system than where the ‘Big One’ would happen.
And when it comes to the quakes in California, other than the fact they are both caused by the earth’s plates moving along the fault lines, he says they aren’t really related to the ones locally.
Even so, he says the recent earthquakes here and in California have been surprising.
“We expected that we would just get aftershocks, that the 6.4 was the big event so to speak, but there is always a small chance, maybe it was less than five per cent, that there would be a bigger earthquake that occurred later, and in this case, that’s what happened,” he says.
RELATED: Cluster of earthquakes hits BC coast
While a major, devastating earthquake may still be still far away for B.C., Ward says being prepared is always a good idea.
“Obviously you want non-perishable food and water that will last at least three days. You want to make sure you have medicine for yourself and your pets — don’t forget about pet food,” he says. “And you also want to have a plan.”
You can read about preparing for an earthquake and building an earthquake kit here.
