Those events remind us that earthquakes can cause major damage and possibly loss of life.

Earthquake activity is common across much of Canada Each year, seismologists record and locate approximately 5000 mostly small earthquakes across the country.

Although scientists can't predict when an earthquake will occur, research can help us take steps to prepare for and reduce losses from future earthquakes.

Scientists with natural resource is Canada.

Study earthquakes around the world.

That research helps us understand what could happen here and learn how we can better protect our homes and communities.

Earthquake research is important to modern building codes helping us create structures to withstand earthquake hazards.

This is particularly important on the coast of British Columbia.

The Pacific coast is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and is the most earthquake prone region in Canada.

In fact, earthquakes occur every day on the West Coast, in the offshore region to the west of Vancouver Island.

More than 100 earthquakes of magnitude five or greater have occurred during the past 70 years.

If the's air near land, the shaking would be quite unsettling, with dishes falling off shelves and minor damage occurring every 252 850 years, There's evidence of giant earthquakes of approximately nine occurring off the West Coast.

These large megathrust earthquakes can cause extensive damage to urban areas and are similar to the one that struck Japan in March 2011.

In February 2010 a subduction earthquake hit the coast of Chile.

Chile presents a compelling case study, and not only because it's quake produced the kind of shaking that may affect Vancouver and Victoria.

It also has in place similar building standards to those in Canada.

John Cassidy of Natural Resource is Canada had a chance to visit the area.

That earthquake was a magnitude 8.8, and it occurred when an ocean plate just offshore of Chile was pushed beneath the continent.

It moved about 20 meters, and it caused very strong shaking that people felt for two or three minutes.

Here in British Columbia, we have exactly the same type of tectonic setting.

A notion plate offshore is being pushed beneath Vancouver Island, Washington and Oregon, and we have exactly the same type of earthquakes along our coast.

We also know that are building codes are very similar to those in Chile.

And so shortly after the earthquake, I traveled with a group of earthquake engineers to Chile and we traveled through the hardest hit regions of the country to look at damage patterns and to learn what we can apply here in British Columbia.

What we found was that the area of impact of that earthquake was huge 600 kilometers long and going about 100 kilometers inland, damaged buildings and bridges highways and seriously impacted the economy.

In the coastal areas where there was very strong shaking, there was also a tsunami was 2 to 3 meters high, but in some areas 10 or 15 meters high.

And that tsunami came in 20 or 30 minutes after the earthquake.

In some areas, up to two or three hours after the earthquake, we found specifically was that the oldest buildings were hardest hit.

Those buildings that were constructed before modern building codes, modern buildings in general did well, but there was still damaged to the interior of this building's and there was a lot of damage to the outside with windows and bricks coming down.

Modern building codes in Chile, the result of a lot of earthquake research saved thousands and thousands of lives and our cans.

Earthquake research helps us understand seismic activity and supports efforts across Canada to minimize damage to our roads, bridges, houses and communities.

No one can say for sure when the next big earthquake will hit the Pacific coast, but by knowing what could happen, we better equipped Canadians with the information they need to prepare for more information, visit our website at earthquakes Canada dot c A.

And follow us on Twitter at twitter dot com slash Canada Quakes to get the latest information on magnitude, location and time of earthquakes in Canada.