Earthquakes in Canada 2012

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

Thought I'd start one that could be added to. (most recent was in the NWT and is at the bottom of this posting).

Background on Earthquakes in Western Canada

Each year, seismologists with the Geological Survey of Canada record and locate more than 1000 earthquakes in western Canada. The Pacific Coast is the most earthquake-prone region of Canada. In the offshore region to the west of Vancouver Island, more than 100 earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater (large enough to cause damage had they been closer to land) have occurred during the past 70 years. Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the concentration of earthquakes along the west coast is related to the presence of active faults, or breaks in the earth's crust. The surface of the earth is always changing, as the earth's crust is made up of "plates" (like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle) that are constantly moving relative to one another at speed's of about 2-10 cm/year (about how fast your fingernails grow). The plates can either slide past one another, or they can collide, or they can diverge (or move apart).

The west coast of Canada is one of the few areas in the world where all three of these types of plate movements take place, resulting in significant earthquake activity. Earthquakes in this region occur along the faults in the offshore region (e.g., the M=8.1 Queen Charlotte Island earthquake of 1949); within the subducting ocean plate (e.g., a magnitude 6.5 earthquake beneath downtown Seattle in 1965); and within the continental crust (e.g., a magnitude 7.3 earthquake on central Vancouver Island in 1946). Moving inland from the coast (and the active plate boundaries), the frequency and size of the earthquakes decreases. Saskatchewan and Manitoba are the least earthquake-prone areas in Canada. http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/zones/westcan-eng.php
(will have to find an article on earthquakes in Eastern Canada).

Mild earthquake felt on Prairies
CBC News
Posted: Feb 1, 2012 10:54 AM CST
Last Updated: Feb 1, 2012 10:53 AM CST

The quake's epicentre was just east of Esterhazy, Sask., about 230 kilometres northeast of Regina according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake's epicentre was just east of Esterhazy, Sask., about 230 kilometres northeast of Regina according to the United States Geological Survey. (USGC)

People in southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba may have felt the earth moving early Wednesday.

A mild earthquake, centred around Esterhazy, Sask., rumbled through the area at around 2:26 a.m. CT.

The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 3.3, according to Andrew Frederiksen, a seismologist at the University of Manitoba.

"A 3.3 is big enough to feel if you're close to the epicentre; it's not big enough to do damage," Frederiksen said.

However, it was big enough to be felt in southwestern Manitoba, he said.

While earthquakes in Manitoba are rare, in southeast Saskatchewan there are about five a year, he said.

Part of the reason is potash mining. Several potash mines are in the Esterhazy area, which is about 225 kilometres northeast of Regina.

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5.7 quake hits near Vancouver Island coast
The earthquake's epicentre was 337 kilometres west of Victoria
Sana Ahmed, News writer

February 5, 2012 — An earthquake of relatively mild strength strikes near Vancouver Island coast.

A 5.7 quake struck near the coast of Vancouver Island at 12:05 p.m. on Saturday.

The earthquake went largely unnoticed by residents living near the epicentre.

There were no risks of a tsunami warning as the quake was not strong in its intensity. As well, there were no reports of damages or injuries.

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4.7-magnitude quake hits Northwest Territories
Cheryl Santa Maria, Staff writer
March 2, 2012 — A moderate earthquake rumbled through an unpopulated region of the Northwest Territories today.


The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed that a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck about 186 kilometres southwest of Norman Wells, Northwest Territories on Friday at 4:29 p.m (MST).

The quake hit at a depth of 17.8 kilometres and, while it was considered to be "moderate" in size, it occurred in a largely unpopulated area.

No injuries or damages have been reported (bet it broke up a lot of ice though).

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

'Earthquake swarm' shakes New Brunswick village
Like 'a bunch of dynamite going off,' resident says
CBC News
Posted: Mar 14, 2012 10:01 AM AT
Last Updated: Mar 14, 2012 8:06 PM AT

McAdam hit by more quakes

Natural Resources Canada: Seismogram viewer in St. George

(Note:CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.)
Earthquake swarm9:13

Residents in a small southwestern New Brunswick community may continue to feel minor earthquakes for several more days or even weeks, according to a Natural Resources Canada seismologist.

McAdam has been hit with five small earthquakes since Saturday in what is known as an “earthquake swarm.” The last one was felt at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“Certainly we are seeing what we are calling an earthquake swarm,” said John Adams, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

“It is a number of earthquakes all of similar and small size all happening in the McAdam area.”

The first earthquake happened at 1:40 a.m. on March 10, which had a magnitude of 2.4. Three minutes later, an aftershock with a magnitude of 1.4 was recorded.

Two more earthquakes were recorded on Tuesday within roughly 20 minutes of each other. The small quakes had magnitudes of 2.0 and 1.9 respectively. A third quake was felt at 7:30 p.m.

Adams said these small earthquakes could happen for several more days or even weeks.

“We are absolutely certain that they are earthquakes that are underground. They are unpredictable. Of course you don’t know when the next one is going to happen,” he said.

Earthquake swarms often happen in Ontario and Canada’s North, Adams said, but do not pose risks.

These minor quakes are still unsettling for many people who live in the area.

Gloria Nason said her house hasn’t sustained any damage and the only noticeable effect was a picture falling from the wall.

But she said the events are scary.

“We had two very large bursts of something, they are just like great big bangs like an explosion, very eerie, very scary,” she said

She said it felt like “a bunch of dynamite going off.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/03/14/nb-mcadam-earthquake-swarm-940.html

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

Date / Magnitude / Location
2012-03-25: M=3.0 - 17 km ESE of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, QC
2012-03-10: M=2.4 - 0 km W of McAdam, NB
2012-03-09: M=3.5 - 191 km WSW of Repulse Bay, NU
2012-03-02: M=5.1 - 148 km WSW of Norman Wells, NT
2012-02-28: M=3.2 - 12 km SE of Val-des-Bois, QC - felt
2012-02-24: M=4.0 - 16 km SW of La Malbaie, QC - felt
2012-02-16: M=1.9 - 3 km S of Penticton, BC - felt
2012-02-15: M=4.7 - Offshore Vancouver Island, BC
2012-02-14: M=4.1 - 206 km SW of Port Alice, BC
2012-02-04: M=5.6 - offshore of Vancouver Island
2012-01-28: M=4.0 - 98 km S of Queen Charlotte City, BC - felt
2012-01-22: M=3.6 - 25 km W of L'Annonciation, QC - felt
2012-01-17: M=2.7 - 14 km N of Oliver, BC - felt
http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/recent/index-eng.php

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

Significant Earthquake Reports

2012-04-07: M=3.1 - 15 km E of Wakefield, QC - felt
2012-03-30: M=3.4 - 46 km WSW of Bathurst, NB - felt

http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/recent/index-eng.php

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

2012-04-11: M=4.4 - 207 km SSW of Shelburne, NS

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

2012-04-13: M=3.1 - 15 km ENE of La Malbaie, QC - felt