Unusually powerful M3.8 Earthquake hit near Montréal in Canada on Sunday Night.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 1st, 2024. Last updated October 31st, 2024.

Under land 88 kilometer from Montréal in Canada, an unusually powerful M3.8 earthquake occurred in the early morning of Sunday September 1st, 2024. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region. Roughly 9 million people may have felt this earthquake. Another country near the epicenter is The United States.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Canada, 88 kilometer (55 mi) north-east of Montréal in Quebec. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 1 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Sep 1, 2024 05:43 (Toronto Time) - Sep 1, 2024 09:43 Universal Time.
Location:	88 km NE of Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Coordinates 46°2'38"N 72°45'19"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 3.8 Detected by 62 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.039 .
Depth:	1 km (1 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 9 million people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 9 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

An estimated 322,100 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 8 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Canada .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
297,100	II	Very weak	None
7,924,000	III	Weak	Probably none
322,100	IV	Light	Likely none
0	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

Canada and The United States are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Drummondville in Quebec, Canada. Drummondville is located 28 kilometer (17 mi) northwest of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Drummondville is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Montréal is located 88 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Laval is located 90 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of II (very weak shaking, no damage). Québec is located 146 km to the north-east and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
28 km (17 mi) SE from epicenter	Drummondville Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
28 km (17 mi) W from epicenter	Sorel-Tracy Quebec, Canada.	IV Light
34 km (21 mi) NNE from epicenter	Sainte-Catherine Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
37 km (23 mi) NNE from epicenter	Trois-Rivières Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
49 km (30 mi) SSW from epicenter	Saint-Hyacinthe Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
52 km (32 mi) W from epicenter	Joliette Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
58 km (36 mi) WSW from epicenter	L'Assomption Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
58 km (36 mi) N from epicenter	Shawinigan Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
61 km (38 mi) E from epicenter	Victoriaville Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
63 km (39 mi) SSW from epicenter	Mont-Saint-Hilaire Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
63 km (39 mi) SSW from epicenter	Beloeil Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
63 km (39 mi) WSW from epicenter	Repentigny Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
66 km (41 mi) SW from epicenter	Varennes Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
68 km (42 mi) SW from epicenter	Sainte-Julie Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
70 km (43 mi) SW from epicenter	Saint-Basile-le-Grand Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
72 km (45 mi) S from epicenter	Granby Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
73 km (45 mi) SW from epicenter	Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
73 km (45 mi) SW from epicenter	Boucherville Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
73 km (45 mi) WSW from epicenter	Mascouche Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
78 km (48 mi) SSW from epicenter	Chambly Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
79 km (49 mi) WSW from epicenter	Terrebonne Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
81 km (50 mi) WSW from epicenter	Saint-Lin-Laurentides Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
82 km (51 mi) SW from epicenter	Longueuil Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
83 km (52 mi) SW from epicenter	Saint-Léonard Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
86 km (53 mi) SW from epicenter	Brossard Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
88 km (55 mi) SW from epicenter	Montréal Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
90 km (56 mi) SW from epicenter	Laval Quebec, Canada.	II Weak
90 km (56 mi) SW from epicenter	Westmount Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
91 km (57 mi) SW from epicenter	Mont-Royal Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
91 km (57 mi) SSW from epicenter	Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
91 km (57 mi) SW from epicenter	La Prairie Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
92 km (57 mi) SW from epicenter	Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
93 km (58 mi) SW from epicenter	Saint-Laurent Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
94 km (58 mi) SW from epicenter	Candiac Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
94 km (58 mi) WSW from epicenter	Sainte-Thérèse Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
96 km (60 mi) SE from epicenter	Rock Forest Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
96 km (60 mi) SW from epicenter	Côte-Saint-Luc Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
96 km (60 mi) WSW from epicenter	Boisbriand Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
96 km (60 mi) SW from epicenter	Sainte-Catherine Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
97 km (60 mi) WSW from epicenter	Blainville Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
98 km (61 mi) SW from epicenter	Saint-Constant Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
98 km (61 mi) SE from epicenter	Sherbrooke Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
98 km (61 mi) SSE from epicenter	Magog Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
101 km (63 mi) WSW from epicenter	Saint-Jérôme Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
103 km (64 mi) SW from epicenter	Dollard-Des Ormeaux Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
104 km (65 mi) WSW from epicenter	Saint-Eustache Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
107 km (66 mi) SW from epicenter	Châteauguay Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
142 km (88 mi) NE from epicenter	La Haute-Saint-Charles Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
146 km (91 mi) NE from epicenter	Québec Quebec, Canada.	III Weak
147 km (91 mi) NE from epicenter	Lévis Quebec, Canada.	II Weak
99 mi (159 km) SSW from epicenter	Plattsburgh New York, The United States.	III Weak
111 mi (178 km) S from epicenter	Burlington Vermont, The United States.	III Weak
239 km (149 mi) WSW from epicenter	Ottawa Ontario, Canada.
183 mi (294 km) SE from epicenter	Lewiston Maine, The United States.
185 mi (298 km) SSE from epicenter	Laconia New Hampshire, The United States.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 603 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 603 people have reported shaking in 88 places, all within Canada.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Montreal, Québec, Canada: 179 people.
Oka-Kanesatake, Québec, Canada: 53 people.
Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Québec, Canada: 28 people.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: 25 people.
Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada: 16 people.
Verchères, Québec, Canada: 15 people.
Saint-Jovite, Québec, Canada: 13 people.
Shawinigan, Québec, Canada: 12 people.
Drummondville, Québec, Canada: 11 people.
Beloeil, Québec, Canada: 11 people.

Risk of aftershocks?

We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

This is an unusually powerful earthquake

No earthquake of this strength has struck this region for a long time. Our data goes back 10 years, and no earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 3.8 or higher have been detected within 300 km (186 mi) of this epicenter.

Tsunami very unlikely

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Factor	Under Sea?	MAG-6.5 or stronger?	Shallow depth?
Explanation	Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami.	Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's.	Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor.
This Earthquake	Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 3.8. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 1 km (1 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 31/10/24 08:28 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.