Why Does British Columbia Get So Many Earthquakes?

Earthquakes are uncommon in most of Canada and while several regions have experienced earthquakes in Canada, one area frequently sees earthquakes and that is the coast of British Columbia.

British Columbia is one of the most seismically active regions in Canada, the area sees about 400 earthquakes each year.

About a few dozens of these earthquakes are felt by people. Most of the larger earthquakes offshore. But why does British Columbia see so many earthquakes?

Earthquakes occur where tectonic plates interact with each other. Southwestern British Columbia is located above the boundary between the Juan de Fuca Plate and the continental North American Plate.

The Juan de Fuca Plate is descending or subducting beneath the North American Plate at roughly four centimetres per year.

There is another threat from earthquakes. On the west coast, there is a risk tsunamis. The threat of a large destructive tsunami is real.