Backgrounder: Earthquakes

Impacts of earthquakes in Canada

Earthquakes happen when the earth's crust slips suddenly along fault lines, releasing energy in the form of seismic waves. These waves cause the ground to shake and can be felt up to hundreds of kilometers away from the earthquake origin.

Earthquakes are measured using a magnitude scale. An earthquake of magnitude 2.5 or less is usually not felt by people, but as magnitude increases, the more potentially damaging the earthquake can become. Much of the damage caused by earthquakes results directly from ground shaking from the seismic waves, but there can also be secondary impacts including tsunamis, landslides, fires, and weakening of the ground surface. For example, in 2011, the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck Japan caused a tsunami. The devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in February 2023 was a magnitude 7.8.

Historically, Canada's west coast has experienced magnitude 9 earthquakes accompanied by tsunamis. The Yukon and Northwest Territories, Arctic islands, and Canada's east coast have also experienced events of considerable magnitude. The Charlevoix Seismic Zone in north-eastern Quebec and the Western Quebec Seismic Zone are other areas of active earthquake risk in Canada. A major earthquake event in Canada could cause widespread and long-term social and economic disruption in the affected region and beyond. Human life, physical health and mental well-being can be significantly impacted by an earthquake – especially when there are also secondary impacts.

The National Risk Profile's findings on earthquakes

It is important to be aware of earthquake risk because, while large seismic events do not happen frequently, the impacts of a serious earthquake could be catastrophic.

The National Risk Profile found that earthquake risk for people and property is likely to increase over time in Canada. Urban density is increasing and populations are growing in Canada's earthquake zones. Also, climate change is creating conditions that promote secondary impacts like infectious disease outbreaks, supply chain interruptions, and food and water security after an event.

Both of Quebec's earthquake zones have many historic buildings that were built before building codes required seismic protections, including in downtown cores, Indigenous communities and residential zones. After an earthquake, remote and isolated communities face the particular risk of being cut off from basic needs, including potable water, food, and emergency responders.

The report found that prioritizing and incentivizing seismic retrofit programs for older buildings, improving access to information on earthquake risk to support better preparation, and increasing access to earthquake insurance would help reduce the impact of earthquake risk.

Canada's earthquake risk reduction plans and actions

The way we understand and approach earthquakes is rapidly evolving as we collect data from current and past seismic events and learn from events around the world and improve our ability to model risk. The Government of Canada is conducting research to fill gaps in our understanding of both earthquake hazard and its potential impact, and is always looking at new technology to improve monitoring of earthquakes.

In 2019, the Government of Canada invested in developing a National Earthquake Risk Assessment Framework as part of the National Risk Profile. This framework will provide evidence to help experts and the public make better earthquake risk reduction decisions through a neighborhood-level picture of the economic impacts, building damage, and injuries and fatalities that are likely to be experienced from earthquakes.

Natural Resources Canada is implementing a national early warning system for seismic events which is scheduled to launch in 2024. This system will provide extremely rapid warnings when an earthquake is about to occur, allowing people to protect themselves and critical infrastructure.

Aimed at Canada's high risk earthquake zones in Quebec and British Columbia, the Government of Canada is exploring insurance-based strategies to increase earthquake insurance uptake, and is developing guidance for seismic retrofits for older/historical buildings in these risky areas.  In parallel with broader work to help Canadians access affordable insurance solutions for natural disasters, the Department of Finance and Public Safety will engage with industry on solutions to earthquake insurance and other evolving climate-related insurance market challenges.

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