On Saturday Afternoon an Unusually powerful M7.0 Earthquake struck 249km from Whitehorse in Canada.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on December 6th, 2025. Last updated December 8th, 2025.

Under land 249 kilometer from Whitehorse in Canada, an unusually powerful Magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred in the early afternoon of Saturday December 6th, 2025. The USGS has indicated there is a potential risk at tsunami's following this earthquake. Another country near the epicenter is The United States.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Canada, 249 kilometer (155 mi) west of Whitehorse in Yukon. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Dec 6, 2025 13:41 (Whitehorse Time) - Dec 6, 2025 20:41 Universal Time.
Location:	249 km west of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Coordinates 60°21'31"N 139°32'45"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 7.0 Detected by 43 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.278252 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VIII Severe On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Potential tsunami risk The USGS has indicated there is a potential risk at tsunami's following this earthquake. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Potential tsunami risk

There is a potential tsunami risk in the aftermath of this earthquake, immediately evacuate to higher grounds away from coastal areas and monitor advice from local authorities. The US Geographic Survey organization has indicated a potential risk for tsunami's following this earthquake.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 10 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 10 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

An estimated 1,160 people were exposed to level V. At this level, moderate shaking and very light damage can be expected. The majority of people (roughly 10 thousand) live in an area exposed to level IV, where light shaking and likely no damage is expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Canada .

Nearby towns and cities

Canada and The United States are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Whitehorse in Yukon, Canada. Whitehorse is located 249 kilometer (155 mi) west of the epicenter.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VIII. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 164 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 164 people have reported shaking in 4 places, all within Canada.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada: 155 people.
• Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada: 4 people.
• Mayo, Yukon, Canada: 3 people.
• Fraser Lake, British Columbia, Canada: 2 people.

15 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 15 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 4.1 magnitude earthquake hit 26 mins later 4 km (2.5 mi) north-northeast of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 183 smaller foreshocks. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 1 hr earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

This is an unusually powerful earthquake

No earthquake of this strength has struck this region for a long time. Our data goes back 10 years, and no earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 7 or higher have been detected within 300 km (186 mi) of this epicenter.

Sources

Last updated 08/12/25 06:58 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000rsy1
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251206_0000306
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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