5.8 quake hits off British Columbia coast

Summary

The quake was the latest in a series of coastal tremors since Monday. Two quakes rattled the area Wednesday, both with magnitudes of around 5. There have been 18 quakes in the region this week.

Story Published: Aug 28, 2008 at 6:07 AM PST

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 12:20 AM PST

5.8 quake hits off British Columbia coast

Map: USGS

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - A 5.8 magnitude earthquake off Vancouver Island is the latest in a swarm that started Monday, but a Canadian scientist says it's normal activity for the region.

The quake at 5:37 a.m. Thursday occurred six miles under the sea floor 97 miles west of Port Hardy, about 293 miles northwest of Vancouver, B.C.

Garry Rogers of the Geological Survey of Canada says it was too small to trigger a tsunami. He says there were two other quakes Wednesday in the same area with magnitudes around 5 and several tremors earlier in the week.

Rogers says it's one of the more vigorous swarms in the last few years, but they are common in that area and not alarming.