Thousands of individuals in southern and central Ontario experienced an earthquake late Tuesday night, as confirmed by Natural Resources Canada. The seismic activity, registering a magnitude of 3.7, occurred approximately 99 kilometers northeast of Toronto just before 11 p.m. ET, as reported by Earthquakes Canada. The tremor, described as “lightly felt,” originated 23 kilometers southeast of Orillia, Ont., at a depth of five kilometers.
According to Natural Resources Canada seismologist Marikah Adams, around 2,600 people have reported feeling the earthquake, with reports spanning from Kingston to Kitchener. Additional reports are still being received. Sarah Cowley, an artist based in Beaverton, recounted hearing a “roaring sound” throughout her 120-year-old home when the quake hit. Although her floors were shaking, no visible damage was observed. Interestingly, while Cowley was shaken by the event, her husband slept undisturbed through it.
The earthquake was felt by a significant number of individuals, with over 2,000 reports submitted through the “Did you feel it?” link on the site. Reports came from as far as Kitchener to the west, Toronto, Belleville to the east, and even as south as Niagara Falls. While there have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries, historical data from Earthquakes Canada indicates that the region has experienced similar-sized earthquakes in the past, with the largest being a magnitude 5.5 quake in 1929.
Seismologist Marikah Adams explained that seismic activity is not common in this area, as it lies within the interior of the North American plate. The cause of earthquakes in this region remains less understood compared to plate boundary regions. It may be attributed to regional stress fields or reactivation of old buried faults along zones of crustal weakness. Geologist Lindsay Schoenbohm mentioned that pressure accumulation near old faults or buried cracks in the tectonic plate could result in such seismic events, known as “snap, crack, pop earthquakes.”
Despite the rarity of earthquakes in this region, Adams emphasized the importance of being prepared and knowing how to respond to such events. The advice includes following safety protocols such as stopping, dropping, covering, and holding on during an earthquake. Standing under a doorway for protection is no longer recommended during seismic activity. Each earthquake event serves as a learning opportunity for scientists to enhance prediction capabilities for future occurrences.
Social media buzzed with comments about the earthquake being the latest challenge for a region that has recently faced extreme weather conditions. For Sarah Cowley, the recent natural events underscore the need to respect nature and its power.
Differing reports of the earthquake emerged between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Earthquakes Canada. The USGS recorded the event as a magnitude 4.1 earthquake at a depth of 11.5 kilometers, slightly deviating from the Canadian data. Seismologist Stephen Crane highlighted the differences in measurement scales and station data as potential reasons for the discrepancies. He emphasized that Earthquakes Canada is the authoritative source for earthquake information within the country and should be relied upon by residents.
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