The 4.6 magnitude earthquake many people felt last week might have some wondering if it shared any relation to the recent small quakes in the area East of Port Hardy.
Taimi Mulder, an earthquake seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, says the 4.6 quake is a bit different.
Now another question is whether or not the 4.6 quake near Tofino helped decrease the chances of the big one hitting, as it relieved some pressure. Not quite so, says Mulder.
Mulder says it is in fact more efficient for the earth’s processes to release the pressure in a larger event. She says that on the Island, residents should continue to expect not only the big one, which could have a magnitude of 9, but also a more local quake with a magnitude that’s closer to 6 or 7.
