The words you use matter
Do you know the difference between a TREMOR and an EARTHQUAKE?
On February 21, 2025, like many people, I saw that most of the media in Canada were talking about the “big earthquake” that occurred in the area around Sechelt, near Vancouver; and then on March 3, 2025, I saw some more articles on-line about the “earthquake that shook Victoria” which occurred in the waters between Victoria and Washington State.
Did you know that earthquakes and tremors are both seismic events that occur due to the movement of the Earth’s crust, but that these two words do not mean the same thing and are not, strictly speaking, interchangeable?
There are some key differences between the two events:
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Earthquakes · more intense |
Tremors · Lower intensity |
I come from Chile, the country that in 1960 experienced the Valdivia earthquake, which measured 9.5 on the Richter scale, and was followed by a deadly tsunami; this earthquake is considered to be the biggest recorded earthquake in history; see more about this earthquake at this link The Power of Nature: Recalling the Chilean Earthquake of 1960, the Strongest in History
In addition, Chile has experienced the Maule earthquake, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale, which is considered the sixth biggest in history; and, I could go on to mention many other earthquakes, like the Atacama earthquake, measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale.
Next time there is a tremor or an earthquake, use the correct word. In Chile, we generally use the word “earthquake” for seismic events over 7 on the Richter scale.
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