Colchester, VT - Did you feel it? Apparently a lot of people did! A magnitude 3.9 earthquake, with an epicenter near Montreal, Qc, struck at 12:19 a.m. Here are the stats on it:
- 3.9 Magnitude
- Depth: 6.2 miles underground
- 30+ reports of weak to light shaking in Plattsburgh-Burlington area
- Felt as far away as Rochester, NY (453km)
- No reports of damage
Facebook posts on our page show viewers felt the quake in Montreal, Qc, Champlain, NY, Ellenburg, NY, and Essex/Winooski, VT. These are just a few of the reports and comments as of 7 a.m. Wednesday.
To the left are images from the USGS, all courtesy www.usgs.gov. These earthquakes aren't uncommon in our area, however a M3.9 is a sizeable shake in the earth.
This particular earthquake is considered to be a "smaller" event. These "smaller" events happen three to four times each year, on average in the St. Lawrence Valley area. This area is known as the Western Quebec Seismic Zone. Larger, and more damaging, earthquakes are possible in this seismic zone, although only about once every ten years or so.
*Interestingly though* this same region has had three small earthquakes in the last three weeks, as of October 10, 2012. Prior earthquakes, according to the USGS, include a M2.5 with an epicenter 46 miles away from Plattsburgh, NY. Another earthquake registered a M3.1 on September 22, 2012, located 106 miles away from Plattsburgh.
According to the USGS, the largest/strongest earthquakes on record for this area happened in 1732, with a magnitude 6.2 quake, then 1935 when a M6.1 struck.
For more information on the earthquake, reports, etc. click on the link below:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Quakes/usb000d3l5.php#details
-Meteorologist Steve Glazier
