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Canada earthquakes in 1981

9 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were located in Canada in 1981. The largest: M4.8 270 km SE of Norman Wells, Canada, Feb 20, 1981.

From the USGS catalog. Times are local to each quake.

19801982

Map

Where every quake of 1981 was located in Canada. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1981

Magnitude 4.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 19810
February 198114.8270 km SE of Norman Wells, Canada
March 198114.5217 km SW of Port McNeill, Canada
April 19810
May 198114.5167 km W of Port McNeill, Canada
June 198114.6218 km S of Fort McPherson, Canada
July 19810
August 198134.7150 km W of Tofino, Canada
September 19810
October 198114.6285 km NE of Pangnirtung, Canada
November 198114.6Sverdrup Islands, Nunavut, Canada
December 19810

What this means

The catalog is only as complete as the instruments of the time. Worldwide coverage of magnitude 5 and up dates from the 1960s, and of 4.5 from the 1990s; earlier years hold the large quakes and the ones near a station, so a low count in an early year means fewer instruments, not a quiet earth.

By year

Every year the USGS catalog covers.

Nearby

Canada nowWorldwide in 1981

Sources

Earthquakes, magnitudes, depths, shaking estimates and felt reports from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, read from its live feeds and its catalog back to 1900. Tsunami messages from NOAA’s tsunami warning centers.