Early morning earthquakes rattle B.C.

Many British Columbians were shaken awake early Friday morning when an earthquake struck in the Strait of Georgia, about 18 kilometres southwest of Tsawwassen.

Earthquakes Canada initially said the quake registered at a magnitude of 3.8, but its website later read 3.5. There were no reports of damage, and none would be expected, according to officials.

The shaking at 2:08 a.m. was felt across a wide region, including southern Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver, and as far away as the Fraser Valley and Washington State, said John Cassidy, a Victoria-based seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

The earthquake hit at a depth of 65 kilometres, within the oceanic Juan De Fuca plate.

“We’re in what’s called a subduction zone; we have an ocean plate from offshore Vancouver Island that’s moving towards us at about the same speed your fingernails grow,” Cassidy explained. “When it reaches North America just offshore, it starts sinking beneath Vancouver Island and continues sinking beneath the Lower Mainland as well as Washington and Oregon.”

The Juan de Fuca plate was responsible for another deep 3.8-magnitude earthquake last Thursday, about 17 kilometres northeast of Victoria.

Cassidy says it’s nothing out of the ordinary, and seismologists haven’t observed any changes in the movement of the plate.

“The small events are happening all the time, every year we see a dozen or more small, deep earthquakes in that same area,” he told CTV News. “It’s not really unusual, but it doesn’t happen every day either we see a 3.8 earthquake.”

He added that an earthquake with a magnitude of 5 or more could cause damage in a populated centre.

In northern B.C., another 4.6-magnitude earthquake hit at 4:09 a.m. Friday about 60 kilometres west of Fort St. John, and a handful of people reported feeling light shaking. There were no reports of damage, according to Earthquakes Canada.

“This morning’s earthquake is really a good reminder for all of us that this is an active earthquake zone and we see tiny earthquakes every day that most people are not aware of, they’re just too small and not felt,” said Cassidy.

“Earthquakes like today are felt, and sort of a good opportunity to check your earthquake kits and emergency kits and also sign up for the shakeout exercise drill.”

The Great B.C. Shakeout, a chance to practice how to drop, cover and hold on in the event of a major earthquake, happens on Oct. 17. 

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Spencer Harwood