4.1 magnitude earthquake in western Quebec felt in Ottawa and Montreal

No damage was reported after a 4.1 magnitude earthquake shook the Maniwaki region in western Quebec on Sunday morning, as confirmed by Earthquakes Canada.

The earthquake occurred at 8:02 a.m., with its epicenter located 75 kilometers northwest of Maniwaki. It was felt by residents in several areas, including Ottawa and Gatineau. A resident from Kanata noted they wondered if the tremor had woken them up, while another mentioned snow falling off their roof.

Reports of the earthquake were submitted by individuals as far as Pembroke, Montreal, and even Brockville.

Stephen Crane, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, explained that while a 4.1 magnitude earthquake can be widely felt, it typically does not cause damage.

“Usually, earthquakes cause damage at about a magnitude of 5. So, it’s below the damage threshold that we would expect. But we would expect some strong shaking, especially for those that don’t usually experience earthquakes,” Crane said.

Regarding aftershocks, Crane noted that earthquakes of this size typically do not produce them. “Aftershocks are usually about a magnitude lower than the main shocks. If there were aftershocks, they would be small and unlikely to be felt by many people,” he added.

Crane emphasized that this earthquake does not indicate a larger one is imminent. “This earthquake occurred in what we call the West Kazbek seismic zone, a region of seismic activity stretching from the Ottawa Valley to Montreal and Temiskaming. While this event wasn’t damaging, this area has experienced significant earthquakes in the past, and we can expect damaging earthquakes in the future,” he said.

Although predicting earthquakes remains impossible, Natural Resources Canada has developed the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system to provide alerts for strong ground shaking.

“The system rapidly identifies and detects earthquakes, then sends an alert to users and the public that they might experience strong shaking. However, this only provides a few seconds of warning,” Crane explained.

The EEW system is currently operational in western British Columbia and will expand to eastern Ontario and southern Quebec in early 2025.

To help improve understanding of earthquake impacts, Natural Resources Canada encourages residents to complete the "Did you feel it?" report, available online.