Earthquakes Canada reported a 3.9-magnitude earthquake located north of Shawville, Quebec, during the early afternoon on Tuesday. Residents in areas near Ottawa, Maniwaki, and Pembroke felt the quake around 12:36 p.m., with reports indicating mild shaking. According to Earthquakes Canada, earthquakes of this magnitude are commonly felt in the region but seldom lead to significant damage.
Notably, historical records from the government show no local earthquake exceeding a magnitude of 5.6 since September 1944. Previous earthquakes in 2010 and 2013 registered around a 5 on the magnitude scale, while major earthquakes are classified as magnitude 7 and above.
During the recent event, Briony Baxter, a resident of Pembroke, Ontario, was having lunch at home when she felt the house shake, prompting her pets to react anxiously. Baxter described hearing noises from the basement, causing her to become alarmed. Despite no structural damage, Baxter was certain that it was an earthquake, differentiating it from routine helicopter activity in her area near Garrison Petawawa.
Seismologist Michal Koraj noted that the earthquake occurred in a seismic zone within western Quebec, similar to a 5.2-magnitude quake in 2013. Koraj explained that typically, damage begins to occur around a magnitude of 5.
