2010 Central Canada earthquake
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2010 Central Canada earthquake
Quake epicenter
Date 23 June 2010 (2010-06-23)
Origin time 17:41:41 UTC
1:41:41PM EDT
Duration 20 seconds
Magnitude 5.0 Mw
Depth 16.4 km (10 mi)
Epicenter location 45°54′14″N 75°29′49″W / 45.904°N 75.497°W / 45.904; -75.497Coordinates: 45°54′14″N 75°29′49″W / 45.904°N 75.497°W / 45.904; -75.497
Countries or regions affected Canada, United States
Max. intensity Mercalli VI
Casualties "minor injuries", unconfirmed[1]
The 2010 Central Canada earthquake was a magnitude 5.0 earthquake (downgraded from 5.5) which occurred in Central Canada on June 23, 2010 at about 13:41:41 EDT and lasted about 20 seconds.[1][2]
The quake was centered around 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Ottawa, Ontario,[3] closest to the settlement of Val-des-Bois, Quebec.[4] It was felt across the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, ON [5], Regional Municipality of Waterloo[6], Metro Detroit-Windsor, Ontario-Ann Arbor and Milwaukee areas,[7] the Greater Montreal Area, Quebec City, Boston, Delaware, Greater Hartford, Buffalo, Pittsburgh,[8] Cleveland,[9] New Hampshire,[10] New York City[11] and Chicago,[12] in addition to places as far as Moose Factory, Thunder Bay, Evansville, Baltimore, Charleston, West Virginia, and Halifax, Nova Scotia.[13] This earthquake was the most severe earthquake in the Ottawa Valley region since October 1998, when a 5.4 earthquake struck the area.[9][14] However, in terms of the Western Quebec Seismic Zone, it was the first moderate earthquake since April 20, 2002, when the area was affected by magnitude 5.5 tremors.[15][16]
Although a 5.0 magnitude quake is only considered to be moderate, the earthquake's depth (estimates of which vary between 16.4 kilometres (10.2 mi) and 19.0 kilometres (11.8 mi))[17][18][19] meant that its effects were more widely felt.[20]
Contents [hide]
1 Geology
2 Aftermath
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
[edit] Geology
USGS intensity map.The magnitude 5.0 Mw intraplate earthquake occurred near the southern edge of the Western Quebec Seismic Zone, known for frequent, but minor tremors, occurring, on average, every five days.[15][21] Far away from the North American tectonic plate's margin, the regional seismicity is controlled by a series of geologic faults, formed over the last billion years by the processes of mountain building, including the Grenville orogeny, and subsequent erosion.
[edit] Aftermath
The Globe and Mail reported that "Twitter users as distant as Springfield, Massachusetts, Traverse City, Michigan, and Cincinnati, Ohio reported feeling tremors."[1] This earthquake occurred as Canadian environment minister Jim Prentice was conducting an interview in Ottawa, and he reported that his chair started to move.[22] The offices of The Globe and Mail were evacuated soon after the tremor.[1] Several media outlets also aired video of a press conference by New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Don Davies being disrupted by the quake.[23]
Part of Quebec Route 307 was closed due to a partial bridge collapse near Bowman, which injured a nearby fisherman.[24] Near the epicenter, many of the telephone networks were out. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board evacuated most of its schools, but students were allowed to return when the situation was determined to be safe. A number of schools were damaged, and may be closed, including First Avenue Public School, Churchill Alternative School, Blossom Park Public School, Centennial Public School, Connaught Public School, Elgin Street Public School and Hilson Avenue Public School.[25] In Gracefield, Quebec a state of emergency was declared after several buildings were damaged, including the church, some of the city's administration buildings and a hotel.[26] In the Outaouais, about 1,300 homes lost power.[24] The O-Train in Ottawa was shut down until 5 pm, and the Agence métropolitaine de transport shut down four of five commuter trains in Montreal for a similar period of time in order to be inspected .[25]
Immediately after the quake, cell phone service in Ottawa was down, possibly overloaded by callers.[14] Several windows in Ottawa City Hall shattered, and a chimney in a nearby solicitors' office collapsed.[26] Minor damages were also reported to several city-owned facilities, including two branches of the Ottawa Public Library and two municipal sports arenas, and power was out in part of the downtown Golden Triangle neighbourhood.[27]
Office buildings in Ottawa and Toronto were evacuated, and cracks appeared in the Parliamentary Press Gallery building on Parliament Hill.[28] A session of the Canadian Senate was also interrupted.[29] No serious damages or injuries have been reported.[30]
[edit] See also
List of earthquakes in Canada
[edit] References
1.^ a b c d "Earthquake shakes central Canada". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/earthquake-shakes-central-canada/article1614941/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
2.^ "Earthquakes shakes Ontario and Quebec". Toronto Star. 23 June 2010. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/827511--earthquake-shakes-ontario-and-quebec. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
3.^ "Magnitude 5.0 - ONTARIO-QUEBEC BORDER REGION, CANADA". USGS. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010xwa7.php. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
4.^ "Earthquake hits Central Canada". http://www.vancouversun.com/news/thewest/Earthquake+hits+Central+Canada/3191755/story.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
5.^ "Earthquake". Raise the Hammer. http://raisethehammer.org/blog/1777/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
6.^ "Earthquake rattles nerves and work day in Waterloo Region". The Record. http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/733990. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
7.^ "Mich. feels shake of 5.0 quake in Canada". WDIV-TV. http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/24008084/detail.html/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
8.^ http://www.wpxi.com/news/24008129/detail.html
9.^ a b "Earthquake rocks Ontario, Quebec". CBC. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/06/23/tor-earthquake.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
10.^ "Canada Earthquake Felt In NH". WMUR New Hampshire. 23 June 2010. http://www.wmur.com/news/24008266/detail.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
11.^ "Earthquake hits central Canada". CTVnews. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20100623/earthquake-canada-100623/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
12.^ "Canadian Quake Felt in Chicago". NBC Chicago. 23 June 2010. http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/june-23-earthquake-96998234.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
13.^ Earthquakes, USGS. "M5.0 – Ontario-Quebec Border Region, Canada - Did You Feel It?". United States Geological Survey. Earthquake Hazards Program. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/2010xwa7/us/index.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
14.^ a b "Earthquake rumbles Ontario and Quebec". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/breakingnews/article/827425--tremors-felt-in-toronto?bn=1. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
15.^ a b "Magnitude 5.0 - ONTARIO-QUEBEC BORDER REGION, CANADA". United States Geologic Survey. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010xwa7.php#summary. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
16.^ "Historical earthquakes magnitude 5.0 and larger". Natural Resources Canada. http://earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/recent_eq/2010/20100623.1741/seismicity-eng.php. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
17.^ "Earthquake of 5.0 magnitude hits Ontario, Quebec". CTV News. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20100623/earthquake-canada-100623/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
18.^ "Geologists answer questions on today’s quake". The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/geologists-answer-questions-on-todays-quake/article1615293/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
19.^ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010xwa7.php#details
20.^ "The Great Canada-Michigan-New York City Earthquake". http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/06/23/the-great-canada-michigan-new-york-city-earthquake/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
21.^ "Earthquake zones in Eastern Canada". Natural Resources Canada. http://earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/zones/eastcan-eng.php#WQSZ. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
22.^ "Earthquake hits central Canada". CTVnews. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20100623/earthquake-canada-100623/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
23.^ Aaron Wherry, "In case you were wondering...". Maclean's, June 23, 2010.
24.^ a b "Tremblement de terre au Québec" (in French). LCN. 23 June 2010. http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/infos/regional/archives/2010/06/20100623-134552.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
25.^ a b "Quebec quake damages buildings, highway". CBC.ca. 2010-06-23. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/06/23/tor-earthquake.html.
26.^ a b "Quebec quake damages buildings, highway". CBC Ottawa. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/06/23/tor-earthquake.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
27.^ "5.0 Val-des-Bois quake rattles Ottawa, eastern North America". Ottawa Citizen, June 23, 2010.
28.^ "5.5-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Canada". FOX News. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/06/23/magnitude-earthquake-shakes-canada/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
29.^ "Earthquake of 5.0 shakes Ontario and Quebec". Yahoo! news. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100623/national/earthquake. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
30.^ "5.5-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Canada". FOX News. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/06/23/magnitude-earthquake-shakes-canada/. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
[edit] External links
Wikinews has related news: Magnitude 5.0 earthquake hits Eastern Canada
Seismograph recorded in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
USGS data on event
USGS user-reported tremors in New England, Ontario, and Quebec
[hide]v • d • e← Earthquakes in 2010 →
January 1st Solomon Islands (7.1, Jan 3) · Eureka (USA) (6.5, Jan 10) · Haiti (7.0, Jan 12)†‡ · Drake Passage (Chile) (6.3, Jan 17)
February Chile (8.8, Feb 27)† · Salta (Argentina) (6.3, Feb 27)
March Kaohsiung (Taiwan) (6.4, Mar 4) · Elâzığ (Turkey) (6.1, Mar 8)† · 1st Pichilemu (Chile) (6.9, Mar 11) · 1st Biobío (Chile) (6.7, Mar 15) · Pico Rivera (USA) (4.4, Mar 16) · Cuba (5.6, Mar 20) ·
April 2nd Biobío (Chile) (5.9, Apr 2) · Baja California (Mexico) (7.2, Apr 4) · 2nd Sumatra (Indonesia) (7.8, Apr 6) · Yushu (China) (6.9, Apr 14)† · Afghanistan (5.4, Apr 18) · Australia (5.2, Apr 20) · 3rd Biobío (Chile) (6.2, Apr 23) ·
May 2nd Pichilemu (Chile) (6.0, May 2) · 4th Biobío (Chile) (6.4, May 3) · 3rd Sumatra (Indonesia) (7.2, May 9) · Algeria (5.1, May 14) · Vanuatu (7.2, May 28) ·
June Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean) (7.7, June 13) · Ocotillo (California) (5.7, Jun 14) · Papua (Indonesia) (7.0, Jun 16) · Central Canada (5.0, Jun 23)
† indicates earthquake resulting in at least 30 deaths
‡ indicates the deadliest earthquake of the year
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Central_Canada_earthquake"
Categories: Current events
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