Earthquakes Canada has confirmed a 2.9 magnitude quake occurred today.
It happened at approximately 6:58 a.m.
Several people reported feeling a rumble at the time.
Earthquakes Canada seismologist Stephen Halchuk says the epicentre was about 40 kilometres off the coast, northwest of Yarmouth, off the end of Digby Neck.
“It was mildly felt by some residents in the Yarmouth area. An event this size is just sort of large enough to be felt out to about a 50 kilometre radius. it would be noticed as light shaking. We wouldn’t expect any damage from an earthquake this size.”
It’s not the first time an earthquake has hit the area.
In June of 2016, a 3.2 magnitude quake was felt in Yarmouth County, and on Canada Day, 2015 a 3.8 magnitude tremor hit.
Halchuk says Earthquake Canada’s records show over the past 5 years there have been about a dozen earthquakes on the southern end of Nova Scotia.
“They’re typical for the region. They tend to be magnitude 2, magnitude 3.”
He says the seismic activity is connected to the Appalachians, an ancient mountain range, that run through New England and up through New Brunswick.
“It’s sort of ongoing from that process. This lasts thousands of years and you just have sort of this scattered activity throughout the Appalachians but also extended into the ocean.”
