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Series of earthquakes hits Vancouver Island

By Christie Nicholson | Aug 28, 2008 02:04 PM | 1

Canada's Vancouver Island has been jolted by a string of earthquakes and their aftershocks since Monday, but residents have barely noticed because the tremors are so far offshore. The latest and most powerful quake—registering magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale—ripped through the Pacific Ocean floor off the island's west coast at 5:37 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, according to Natural Resources Canada.

Though more vigorous than those experienced in the area in years past, the quakes are not causing alarm at the Ministry of Public Safety's Emergency Management British Columbia.

Strings of small earthquakes, known as a so-called "earthquake swarm," are not new to this seismically active region. Researchers attribute it to thinner fault lines in this particular area of the Pacific, and say that the cracking of Earth's crust is a normal occurrence.

 

Tags: Richter scale, tsunami, Vancouver, earthquake
More News Blog: Next: World's largest machine--the electric grid--is old and outdated Previous: Gustav approaches hurricane status as it bears down on Jamaica, the Gulf Coast

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  1. 1. quakeman 06:21 PM 8/28/08

    its like offshore oregon quakes i talk about on my site http://www.earthquakeinfo.net ive been hearing the ore. quakes are undersea volcano birth.now canada.oh yeah the san juan de fuca plate
    well there is in my eys alot of fear on my plate today

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