1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake

1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake
1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake is located in British Columbia
1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake
UTC time1949-08-22 04:01:18
ISC event896789
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local dateAugust 21, 1949 (1949-08-21)
Local time20:01 PDT
Magnitude8.0 Mw
8.1 Ms
Depth10.0 km (6.2 mi)[1]
Epicenter53°37′N 133°16′W / 53.62°N 133.27°W / 53.62; -133.27
TypeStrike-slip
Areas affectedCanada
Max. intensityMMI VIII (Severe)
Tsunami0.61 m (2 ft 0 in)[2]
AftershocksMw 6.3 Aug 23 at 8:24:35 UTC[3]
CasualtiesNone

The 1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake struck Haida Gwaii (at the time known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) and the Pacific Northwest coast at 8:01 p.m. PDT on August 21. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 8.0[4] and a surface-wave magnitude of 8.1. The maximum Mercalli Intensity in the event was VIII (Severe).

The interplate earthquake began in the ocean bottom just off the rugged coast of Graham Island. It ruptured along the Queen Charlotte Fault both northward and southward more than 500 km (311 mi). Shaking was felt throughout British Columbia, parts of Washington, Oregon, Alberta, the Yukon, and Alaska.[5] No deaths were reported in this earthquake.

  1. ^ "M 8.0 – 171 km S of Hydaburg, Alaska". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference PAGER-CAT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference ISC-GEM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "M 8.0 – 171 km S of Hydaburg, Alaska". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  5. ^ NRC, The M8.1 Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands) Earthquake of August 22, 1949, Natural Resources Canada