Earthquakes Canada reports seismic activity near Esterhazy, Sask.

CTV News

20 hours ago

Earthquakes Canada says seismic activity was reported in east central Saskatchewan last Friday.
At 8:34 p.m. CST on Aug. 1, the agency says a seismic event was reported five kilometers northeast of Esterhazy, Sask.
The event's magnitude was classified as 3.3 on the moment of magnitude scale (MwN) at a depth of one kilometre.
The moment of magnitude scale is a logarithmic scale used to measure the total energy released by an earthquake.
The higher the number, the more energy was released.
For example, a magnitude 6 earthquake releases about 30 times more energy than a magnitude 5 and about 1,000 times more energy than a magnitude 4.
According to the agency, it is very unlikely that an earthquake of a magnitude less than five could cause any damage.
Earthquakes Canada went on to say in its summary that the incident is believed to be mine-related.
'Based on where it occurred and our past knowledge of that region, we think that it was probably related to mining activity and not a natural earthquake, but we don't have that 100 per cent confirmed at this point,' Allison Bent, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, told CTV News.
Around the time of event, Natural Resources Canada received 10 reports from people in the area.
'[The reports] all came from close to the epicenter and they all indicated very mild shaking so people were aware of it, but this would be too small to be to be damaging,' Bent shared.
Mosaic operates its K1, K2 and K3 potash facilities north and east of Esterhazy.
Following the tremor, the company said examinations took place, but crews found nothing of note.
'Mosaic completed all of our regular safety checks and inspections and had found no notable findings,' explained Marnel Jones, Mosaic's director of government and public affairs.
'We continue to operate as usual, and the all clear was provided at about 10:30 p.m. [that evening].'
Jones added the K1 mine goes about one kilometre underground and is also home to the Prairie Evaporite Formation – which is common for seismic activity to happen due its geological makeup.
'To date we've really seen no significant structural impact. For that to occur we'd have to reach into maybe a 6.0 magnitude,' she said.
'The act of mining itself does not cause major seismic events, but mining and induced seismic activity can be caused due to salt removal or rejection activities in the area. The good news is that buildings and infrastructure are engineered with seismic loading incorporated into the design.'
Jones added that Mosaic has only experienced 'slight' power outages from seismic events in the past.
Esterhazy's Mayor Randy Bot told CTV News in a statement that the community is aware of occasional ground disturbances due to mining activity.
'Esterhazy is proud to be home to one of the world's richest potash deposits, and with that comes occasional ground movement. These events are closely monitored by the mining companies and regulatory bodies to ensure safety remains the top priority,' Bot said in a statement.
'We've experienced similar tremors in the past, and there is no indication at this time that there is any cause for concern. Living in a prosperous mining town means we sometimes feel the pulse of the industry beneath our feet.'
Natural Resources Canada said a similar size seismic event happened in the same region back in May, which was later confirmed to be mining-related.
As for the most recent event, experts are continuing to investigate the cause.
Data from the agency shows there have been 11 earthquakes recorded in the region surrounding Esterhazy.
The most serious event on record was a magnitude 5.5 on May 19, 1909.
The most recent earthquakes in the region were a pair reported on Aug 11, 2021 – each reaching a magnitude of 3.9 MwN.