Introduction

Southwestern British Columbia is in an earthquake prone area and this area is due for a major subduction earthquake. The last mega-thrust earthquake (magnitude 9+) occurred in January 1700. Approximately every 300-500 years an earthquake of this magnitude occurs. It has been 305 years since the last major earthquake so we should expect a large earthquake at anytime. By knowing which areas are more hazardous during an earthquake, people can try to mitigate some of the destruction that will inevitably occur through many preventative measures such as having stricter building codes for hazardous areas. By looking at slope, elevation, surficial materials, liquefaction and tsunami hazards we created a map which shows the earthquake hazards within the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD).