Research in Progress talk: Rocking the St. Elias
A giant earthquake, hidden faults, and what it means for Yukoners
On December 6, 2025, the largest onshore earthquake in Canada in over 75 years, a magnitude 7.0, struck the St. Elias Mountains beneath the Hubbard Glacier.
This talk will cover what happened, what it revealed about a previously hidden fault system, why it triggered over 200 landslides near the epicentre, how scientists study earthquakes in some of Canada's most remote terrain, and what new research is revealing about how the ground beneath our feet affects the shaking we experience.
We'll also discuss what this means for earthquake preparedness in the North — especially as permafrost and climate continue to change.
Andrew Schaeffer is a Research Scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources
Canada, and Adjunct Professor at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria.
Canada, and Adjunct Professor at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria.
Photo credit: Theron Finley, Yukon Geological Survey
Co-hosted by YukonU and Yukon Science Institute.
Questions?
Contact The Research Services Office at rso@yukonu.ca