No tsunami is expected after a 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Haida Gwaii Sunday afternoon, according to Earthquakes Canada.
The quake hit at around 1:10 p.m. about 88 kilometres south of the village of Queen Charlotte.
Earthquakes Canada reported that the shaker was lightly felt by village residents.
There have been no reports of damage.
January has seen several seismic events oc in the region. Not all are felt by residents, but a 4.6-magnitude quake near Tofino, B.C. on Jan. 8 shook houses and broke dishes in the small tourist community.
Earthquakes are common in the area due to locked geological plates under the Pacific Ocean floor called the Cascadia subduction zone.
As stress builds up over hundreds of years, the plates release pressure in the form of earthquakes.
A local seismologist has said the odds of a megathrust earthquake and tsunami on Vancouver Island in the next 50 years is about one-in-10.
With files from The Canadian Press
