Canada earthquakes

M1.9 earthquake 4 km SE of North Saanich, Canada

A magnitude 1.9 earthquake struck 4 km SE of North Saanich, Canada on Thu, Dec 18, 1980, 11:49 AM PST (19:49 UTC), 52 km (32 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.3 12 km WNW of Orcas, Washington. This one was a foreshock.

Central Saanich forecastMore in Canada

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.9 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1980-12-18 19:49:37 UTC
Depth
51.7 km (32.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
48.633° N, 123.379° W
Region
Canada
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 1.1 km horizontally, 0.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.08
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
69°
Stations used
15

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 5 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event uw10092558. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:25 AM UTC.