By Melissa MacIntosh-Young, Staff Reporter
Residents across central Alberta felt the ground shift once again Saturday afternoon, as a 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Morinville.
According to Earthquakes Canada, the quake was recorded at 3:56 p.m., approximately 18 kilometres northeast of Morinville and about 41 kilometres north of Edmonton.
By Sunday morning, officials with the Alberta Energy Regulator indicated the tremor is believed to be an aftershock linked to a larger seismic event earlier this month.
That earlier quake — a 4.5-magnitude event recorded April 1 near Gibbons — was confirmed to be related to oil and gas activity in the region according to the Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) and the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). They identified these events as “known induced,” meaning they were caused by human activity, specifically industrial processes.
Since then, the area has experienced a series of smaller but still noticeable tremors.
On April 3, a 3.2-magnitude earthquake struck roughly 10 kilometres north of Gibbons. Days later, on April 8, a 3.7-magnitude quake was recorded about 15 kilometres northwest of the community.
The Alberta Energy Regulator says experts continue to monitor the situation closely.
In a statement, the agency explained that scientists with the Alberta Geological Survey analyze seismic activity using a network of more than 70 monitoring stations across the province.
“Our experts examine earthquake characteristics to determine if earthquakes are natural or induced,” the statement said.
While no damage has been reported from Saturday’s tremor, the recent string of earthquakes has raised ongoing questions about seismic activity in the region and its connection to industrial operations.
Officials say monitoring and analysis will continue as more data becomes available.
Only about 20 percent of worldwide earthquakes are felt and 0.1 percent cause damage.
READ THE LAMONT LEADER TOTALLY FREE ON NEWSSTANDS AROUND LAMONT COUNTY, ON PATREON, OR SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME ON LOCAL INK!
