2010 Central Canada earthquake
| UTC time | 2010-06-23 17:41:42 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 14782739 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 23 June 2010 |
| Local time | 1:41 PM (EDT) |
| Duration | 30 seconds |
| Magnitude | 5.0 Mw |
| Depth | 16.4 km (10 mi) |
| Epicenter | 45°54′14″N 75°29′49″W / 45.904°N 75.497°W |
| Type | Reverse |
| Areas affected | Quebec, Canada Ontario, Canada New York, United States |
| Max. intensity | MMI VI (Strong) |
| Casualties | 1 injured |
The 2010 Central Canada earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 5.0 in Central Canada on 23 June at about 13:41:41 EDT and lasted about 30 seconds. The epicentre was situated approximately 56 kilometres (35 mi) north of Ottawa, Ontario, in the municipality of Val-des-Bois, Quebec. Canada's capital, Ottawa, declared this earthquake as being its most powerful in 65 years.
It was felt across most of Ontario and Quebec, as well as parts of the northeastern United States, in addition to places as far as Chicago, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Charleston, West Virginia, and Halifax. It was the first moderate earthquake associated with the Western Quebec Seismic Zone since 20 April 2002, when the area was affected by magnitude 5.1 Mw tremors. Southern Ontario was also affected by the 1998 magnitude 5.2 Mw Pymatuning earthquake, associated with a different seismic region (Southern Great Lakes seismic zone).
Although a 5.0 magnitude quake is 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)) meant that its effects were more widely felt.