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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba

By: Melissa Martin

Posted: 02/1/2012 11:12 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies) | Last Modified: 02/2/2012 12:35 AM | Updates

A little late-night shake’n’shimmy struck Manitoba and Saskatchewan early this morning.

A small tremble rippled through Saskatchewan and Manitoba at about 2:26 this morning. Data from the United States Geological Survey pinned the quake five kilometres below the surface, and said it reached 3.3 magnitude.

No need to fret – Manitoba is situated in the most geologically stable part of the continent, said University of Manitoba seismology professor Andrew Frederiksen, and the quake almost certainly did no damage. The epicentre is pinpointed to near Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, where geologists have noted a history of minor earthquakes.

Frederiksen said one leading explanation for the cause of the quakes is the effect of potash mining in the area. "It doesn’t mean a collapse in the mine or anything that dramatic," he said. "But when you’re mining such large volumes… it could potentially lead to an earthquake."

Another possible explanation is that the quakes could be triggered by underground cave-ins that occur when salt deposits underneath Saskatchewan’s soil are dissolved by groundwater.

Frederiksen could not recall the last time an earthquake strong enough to be felt impacted southern Manitoba, but stressed that it’s not a sign of shakier times to come. "In Manitoba, we need flood insurance, not earthquake insurance," he quipped. "It’s only significant because it’s in an unusual place."

History

Updated on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 11:26 AM CST: Fixes time of quake

11:33 AM: corrects magnitude to 3.3

11:36 AM: tweaks headline

11:47 AM: updates lede paragraph

12:35 AM: Corrects name of United States Geological Survey

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