Shallow M5.7 Earthquake hit 278km from Whitehorse in Canada on Wednesday Evening.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on January 1st, 2026. Last updated January 14th, 2026.

A shallow and significant MAG-5.7 earthquake struck under land 278 kilometer from Whitehorse in Canada just before midnight of Wednesday December 31st, 2025. The USGS has indicated there is a potential risk at tsunami's following this earthquake.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Canada, 278 kilometer (173 mi) west of Whitehorse in Yukon. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 9 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Dec 31, 2025 23:46 (Whitehorse Time) - Jan 1, 2026 06:46 Universal Time.
Location:	278 km west of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Coordinates 60°28'33"N 140°7'27"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 18 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.3 .
Depth:	9 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong 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 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 IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 970 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Whitehorse in Yukon, Canada. Whitehorse is located 278 kilometer (173 mi) west of the epicenter. 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 VII.

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 24 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 24 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: 20 people.
• Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada: 4 people.

68 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 68 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 9 km (6 mi) west of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 8 mins later. It measured a magnitude of 5.3

In the days before this main shock, 12 smaller foreshocks were detected. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-5.1 was detected nearby this earthquake.

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.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major 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 31 km (19 mi) further east-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on December 6th, 2025.

In total, 4 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 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 3 years.

Sources

Last updated 14/01/26 07:28 (). 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 us7000rluk
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260101_0000095
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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