This article is over 5 years old and may contain outdated information.
Mapping
British Columbia is widely known to be Canada’s seismic danger zone, but every so often the shifting Earth reminds us that the rest of the country isn’t immune to the sometimes fickle movements of tectonic plates.
Early Sunday morning, residents of the small Nunavut communities of Resolute, Arctic Bay and Grise Fiord awoke to shaking caused by a magnitude 5.8 quake centred about 85 kilometres southeast of Resolute. No injuries and only light damage were reported, but the quake drew attention to the surprising seismicity of the Canadian High Arctic.
As the map above, created for the June 2015 issue of Canadian Geographic, shows, Baffin Bay was actually the site of one of the strongest earthquakes in Canadian history, which occurred on Nov. 20, 1933. Measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, it remains the largest known earthquake north of the Arctic Circle.
Here are more of Canada’s biggest quakes, in descending order of magnitude; their epicentres are also marked on the map.
Are you passionate about Canadian geography?
You can support Canadian Geographic in 3 ways:
Travel
Brewed with water and natural ingredients, Corona wants to encourage Canadians to responsibly experience the country’s natural wonders
Science & Tech
Celebrating Canadian Innovation Week 2023 by spotlighting the people and organizations designing a better future
Travel
The trail started with a vision to link Canada coast to coast to coast. Now fully connected, it’s charting an ambitious course for the future.
Environment
Alberta’s largest city has a lofty goal to restore some of its roadsides, boulevards and other open spaces to a more natural state. Here’s a look at some biodiversity-friendly projects already underway.