Shallow M5.1 FORESHOCK struck on Tuesday Night 251km from Whitehorse in Canada.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on December 30th, 2025. Last updated January 7th, 2026.

A shallow and significant MAG-5.1 foreshock struck under land 251 kilometer from Whitehorse in Canada deep in the night of Tuesday December 30th, 2025. Around 2 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Canada, 251 kilometer (156 mi) west of Whitehorse in Yukon. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 5 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Dec 30, 2025 03:17 (Whitehorse Time) - Dec 30, 2025 10:17 Universal Time.
Location:	251 km west of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Coordinates 60°25'14"N 139°36'49"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.1 Detected by 97 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.3 .
Depth:	5 km (3 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

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 2 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 2 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is III, which corresponds with weak shaking and probably no damage. Roughly 1,520 people are expected to be exposed to this level. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Canada .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Canada . Whitehorse in Yukon, Canada is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 251 kilometer (156 mi) west of Whitehorse. The intensity of shaking and damage in Whitehorse is estimated to be around level II on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (very weak shaking, no damage).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VI.

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 3 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in 2 places in 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: 2 people.
• Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada: 1 person.

This is likely a foreshock

This earthquake was followed by a stronger MAG-5.7 earthquake, classifying this earthquake as a foreshock.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

Earthquakes like this are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since December 8th, 2025, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 8 km (5 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on December 6th, 2025.

In total, 11 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every year.

Tsunami very unlikely

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 07/01/26 10:18 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rlhy
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251230_0000136
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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