Shaking Everywhere: Could an Earthquake Happen Here in Saskatchewan? – DiscoverMooseJaw.com

[ad_1]

Albertans learned more last week about the cause of the 5.6-magnitude earthquake that struck the Peace River region in November, but could a similar event happen here in Saskatchewan?

Since 1990, the Canadian Seismological Company has recorded nine real natural earthquakes that were relatively small, ranging in magnitude from 2 to 3. Many of those earthquakes occurred near Saskatoon, but they were not isolated from that area.

Most common in Saskatchewan are what Earthquakes Canada calls industrial “blasts.” There are earthquakes caused by industrial and mining-related activities. 16 “explosions” have been recorded near Flin-Flon since 1990 and 26 near the Esterházy potash mine. The largest event occurred in the Esterhazy region in 2019 with a magnitude of 4.1.

While earthquakes are rare in our part of the country, Claire Perry, a seismologist with Earthquake Canada, said it’s not impossible for them to happen.

“We can never say with certainty that an earthquake will or will not happen here. An earthquake can happen anywhere, at any time. It is very unlikely that it will happen in stable areas like the center of the country,” she explained.

There are fault lines all over the world, Perry said, but they evolve differently and can change at different rates. For example, tectonically active regions have visible faults near the surface and deform at rapid rates of about 2 to 3 centimeters per year.

She explained that Saskatchewan is located in an “intraplate” region with deep fault lines in the ground. There is little tectonic activity in Saskatchewan, but Berry said tectonic forces can build up over hundreds of millions or billions of years. If there is too much pressure along these fault lines, an earthquake can occur.

If you feel the ground shaking, Perry said, you can report the activity on the Earthquakes Canada website.

“Please visit our web page and tell us about it because this information really helps us build better ground motion models and better understand earthquakes in general,” said Perry.

If an earthquake occurs in your area, you should take safety precautions including “fall down, cover, and wait.” This means hiding under a table or desk. While it may be a natural instinct, Perry said, don’t run outside because injuries often occur from falling debris.

[ad_2]