Full rupture of the Cascadia interface fault, the fault defining the boundary between the North American and Pacific Ocean plates. This magnitude 9.0 event, often referred to as ‘The Big One’, affects most communities in southwestern British Columbia.

A magnitude 5.6 rupture scenario near Ottawa along the Gloucester Fault in the south of the city. This fault is not known to be active, but this scenario is representative of seismicity in the Ottawa Valley.

Magnitude 5.2 earthquake scenario along the Vedder Fault which runs northeast along Vedder Mountain. This earthquake is located about 18 km east of Abbotsford City Hall. This fault is not known to be active, but this scenario represents a small but damaging event near Abbotsford town centre.

The Denali Fault spans over 200km of the Yukon Territory, and is a significant source of seismic hazard. This magnitude 7.4 earthquake scenario, centered near small communities along the Alaska Highway, visualizes the effects of a severe earthquake that could be produced by this fault.

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Montreal, along the Milles-Îles Fault. This fault is not known to be active, but this scenario represents a small but damaging event near the City of Montreal.

Full rupture of the Leech River Fault, a fault that cuts southern Vancouver Island and extends beneath Greater Victoria. Based on current science, this magnitude 7.3 earthquake scenario represents the strongest ground shaking event that could strike the region, and is one of Greater Victoria’s most severe events.

Faults in the valleys near Ottawa could rupture and produce strong, shallow earthquakes. This magnitude 5.5 scenario visualizes the effects of such an event. It does not represent the most severe earthquake that could occur, but one that is more likely and could still cause damage.

The National Earthquake Scenario Catalogue, presents the probable shaking, damage, loss and consequences from hypothetical earthquakes that could impact Canadians. It considers only damage to buildings, and their inhabitants, from earthquake shaking, and therefore does not include damage to critical infrastructure or vehicles. Losses from secondary hazards, such as aftershocks, liquefaction, landslides, or fire following are also not currently included. The information is provided at the approximate scale of Census dissemination areas, and is intended to support planning and emergency management activities in earthquake prone regions. This project is run by the Geological Survey of Canada's Public Safety Geoscience Program.

In 1997, a magnitude 4.6 earthquake occurred 3 to 4 km beneath the Strait of Georgia, near Vancouver. This scenario visualizes the effects of that event if it occurred today with a magnitude of 4.9. A magnitude 7.0 Georgia Strait scenario is also provided, and represents a less likely but more consequential case for comparison.

In 2015, a magnitude 4.7 earthquake occurred 60 km beneath Sidney, BC. This scenario visualizes the effects of that event if it had a magnitude of 7.1.