The strongest earthquake near Ottawa in 65 years, felt across Ontario, Quebec, and parts of the northeastern United States.
Key Facts
- Moment Magnitude
- 5.0 Mw
- Date & Time
- 23 June 2010, 13:41:41 EDT
- Duration
- Approximately 30 seconds
- Depth
- 16.4–19.0 km km
- Epicentre Distance from Ottawa
- ~56 km north
- Previous comparable quake
- 20 April 2002 (Mw 5.1)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The earthquake originated within the Western Quebec Seismic Zone, a seismically active region in Central Canada. The zone had last produced a comparable moderate tremor on 20 April 2002, when a magnitude 5.1 event struck the same general area. The relatively shallow crustal depth of the fault rupture contributed to a broad area of ground shaking.
On 23 June 2010, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck near Val-des-Bois, Quebec, approximately 56 kilometres north of Ottawa, lasting about 30 seconds. Its focal depth ranged between 16.4 and 19.0 kilometres. The shaking was felt across most of Ontario and Quebec and extended into the northeastern United States, reaching as far as Chicago, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Halifax.
Ottawa declared the event its most powerful earthquake in 65 years. The relatively shallow depth amplified the geographic extent of felt shaking well beyond what a 5.0 magnitude event would typically produce. The quake drew attention to seismic hazard in the Western Quebec Seismic Zone and prompted public awareness about earthquake risk in the Canadian capital region.