Ottawa, ON – A small earthquake shook parts of western Quebec Monday afternoon, with light tremors also reported in the Ottawa region.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 2.8 earthquake struck at 3:04 p.m. EDT (19:04 UTC) about 23 kilometers northwest of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, Quebec. The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The event was recorded near the St. Lawrence River Valley, an area that occasionally experiences minor seismic activity. Two people submitted online reports saying they felt the tremor, though no injuries or damage were reported.
USGS maps show the quake’s epicenter north of Shawinigan, situated between Ottawa and Montreal. The tremor was categorized as light, unlikely to cause structural damage, but strong enough for residents nearby to notice a brief shaking.
Earthquakes of this size are considered common in eastern Canada, where the Western Quebec Seismic Zone has historically produced both small and moderate quakes. Larger events, though rare, have been felt as far as southern Ontario and the northeastern United States.
Residents who experienced the shaking are encouraged to file a report with USGS to help refine data on how the tremor was felt across the region.
