Series of quakes strike near B.C.-Yukon border
Several powerful earthquakes struck Monday in the northern tip of British Columbia near the border with Alaska and Yukon.
The U.S. Geological Survey says a 6.2-magnitude quake hit 88 kilometres northwest of Skagway, Alaska. That was followed by several smaller quakes, including one with a 5.2 magnitude and another major 6.3 quake about almost two hours after the first.
Natural Resources Canada says the first quake struck around 5:30 a.m. Pacific time, at a depth of only 10 kilometres.
USGS geophysicist Amy Vaughan tells the Associated Press that it's not completely uncommon for an aftershock to be larger than the triggering quake, though normally, following quakes are smaller.
Four hours after the quake, the geological survey had recorded more than 50 temblors as aftershocks continued to shake the area. The Yukon government activated its Emergency Co-ordination Centre as the quakes continued.
Earthquakes over a magnitude of six can cause damage to buildings, even well-built ones. There are no reports of injuries or building damage in the remote region, and no tsunami warning was issued.
Yukon Energy confirmed that the quakes triggered power outages. Yukon Community Services Minister John Streiker said on Twitter that Yukon Energy was working with the power utility ATCO to restore power, and to check dams and substations for damage.
Several Twitter users reported feeling tremors, including many in Whitehorse, about 170 kilometres away.
The Alaska area experiences a high amount of seismic activity due to the movement of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. In 1964, an earthquake centred near Prince William Sound in Alaska registered a magnitude of 9.2 -- the second-largest earthquake ever recorded.
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[youtube]8B7xr_EjbzE[/youtube]
Several powerful earthquakes struck Monday in the northern tip of British Columbia near the border with Alaska and Yukon.
The U.S. Geological Survey says a 6.2-magnitude quake hit 88 kilometres northwest of Skagway, Alaska. That was followed by several smaller quakes, including one with a 5.2 magnitude and another major 6.3 quake about almost two hours after the first.
Natural Resources Canada says the first quake struck around 5:30 a.m. Pacific time, at a depth of only 10 kilometres.
USGS geophysicist Amy Vaughan tells the Associated Press that it's not completely uncommon for an aftershock to be larger than the triggering quake, though normally, following quakes are smaller.
Four hours after the quake, the geological survey had recorded more than 50 temblors as aftershocks continued to shake the area. The Yukon government activated its Emergency Co-ordination Centre as the quakes continued.
Earthquakes over a magnitude of six can cause damage to buildings, even well-built ones. There are no reports of injuries or building damage in the remote region, and no tsunami warning was issued.
Yukon Energy confirmed that the quakes triggered power outages. Yukon Community Services Minister John Streiker said on Twitter that Yukon Energy was working with the power utility ATCO to restore power, and to check dams and substations for damage.
Several Twitter users reported feeling tremors, including many in Whitehorse, about 170 kilometres away.
The Alaska area experiences a high amount of seismic activity due to the movement of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. In 1964, an earthquake centred near Prince William Sound in Alaska registered a magnitude of 9.2 -- the second-largest earthquake ever recorded.
source
[youtube]8B7xr_EjbzE[/youtube]
