A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit central Alberta near Sylvan Lake and Red Deer just before 6 a.m. on Monday, according to Natural Resources Canada (NRC).

NRC shared details on the quake on its website, saying the quake’s epicentre was just south of Red Deer and had a depth of one kilometre.

EARTHQUAKE Mag=4.6 on 04 Mar at 05:55 MST. Details : https://t.co/JMylfwKl7A 4 km SSW of Red Deer, AB 132 km NNE of Calgary, AB — Earthquakes Canada (@CANADAquakes) March 4, 2019

Speaking to Global News, earthquake seismologist Taimi Mulder from the Geological Survey of Canada/NRC said the quake was in no way connected to a quake in Salmon Arm, B.C., on Saturday.

“There’s not often earthquakes in Alberta,” she said, adding it “may be due to tectonic activity just east of the Rockies.”

“Earthquakes occur every couple years in the foothills of the Rockies. This one is slightly larger than normal.”

Mulder said they aren’t expecting any aftershocks and don’t expect the quake to have caused any structural damage to area buildings.

“We’ll take a closer look at this earthquake event over the next couple days and weeks and see if it can tell us anything else.”

READ MORE: Fracking and the major role it plays in causing earthquakes in Alberta

A professor of Geophysics at the University of Alberta said this earthquake, with the current data, is one of the largest the region has experienced.

“Magnitude 4s are not very common in Alberta,” Jeff Gu said.

“Although, in the last few years, there have been a few events of that similar size. The largest event I think was in the early 2000s, was on the order of (magnitude) 5 close to Dawson Creek… This would be smaller than that but still quite significant.”

Usually, damage is associated with quakes magnitude 5.5 or above, according to Gu.

Still, he thinks any event over magnitude 4 warrants analysis.

“Anything, whether it’s hydraulic fracturing, a natural event, or possibly related to wastewater injection — which was discovered not too far from this area in the Cordell Field in the past — I think any one of these mechanisms should require us to look deeply into this,” Gu said.

“Any time you feel the event, that’s a large event to monitor.”

WATCH BELOW: Natural Resources Canada says a 4.6 magnitude earthquake shook central Alberta at around 6 a.m. Monday. Kendra Slugoski spoke with people in Sylvan Lake.

Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer said most Red Deerians felt the quake Monday morning, herself included.

“I certainly did… Many Red Deerians woke up saying their house had shaken at about 5:55 this morning. We were certainly to surprised there had been earthquake activity,” Veer said.

“There apparently has been some earthquake activity in Red Deer in the past, but it’s certainly not very common.”

Vesta Energy’s monitoring equipment detected a seismic event about 20 kilometres southwest of Red Deer at 5:56 a.m.

A spokesperson for the oil and gas company said there were reports of power outages in the region.

Vesta shut down its “completions activity” in the area and is working with the Alberta Energy Regulator “to review and investigate the situation.”

Gu says that’s following protocol.

“Alberta Energy Regulator has a specific mandate that if the event happens with a magnitude of 4 or above, hydraulic fracturing activities, should they be responsible, must cease and the data should be handed over to them for analysis.”

It’s possible fracking caused the earthquake Monday, Gu said.

“In this area, especially the Rocky Mountain House area, there have been natural earthquakes in the past, there have been earthquakes due to oil and gas production. We cannot rule out the possibility of this one being linked to hydraulic fracturing, especially [in light of] a recent report that there had been hydraulic fracturing activity close to the event time.”

READ MORE: Mystery solved: ice quakes led to ground shifting in Alberta Beach

The Fortis Alberta website showed there were unplanned power outages in the Sylvan Lake area shortly after 6 a.m., and the power company told Global News it was looking into the cause.

Residents living in central Alberta took to social media on Monday to share stories of power outages and houses shaking after concerns over a potential earthquake.

What the heck just happened? Our whole house shook!! Earthquake in Sylvan Lake Alberta?!#earthquake #Alberta — Iris Chalmers (@IrisChalmers) March 4, 2019

Anyone else experience a shake before the power went out? #sylvanlake #sylvan — Kelly Brand (@KellyBrand4444) March 4, 2019

House shakes, knocks stuff on floor, power goes off at -28. Kids are panicking … because they have no wifi #SylvanLake — Keith Pickering (@KeithWPickering) March 4, 2019

5:57 am. Awoke with the whole house shaking. All power gone in @SylvanLake_AB . It felt like something grabbed the house and gave it a shake. Not sure what just happened but not the way to start a Monday. — Coach Vic (@SlobodaVic) March 4, 2019

A spokesperson with Altalink told Global News power was restored to the Sylvan Lake area at 7:30 a.m.

WATCH: The epicentre of Monday morning’s earthquake was about four kilometres south of Red Deer, near Sylvan Lake. Albert Delitala has reaction as some question fracking’s role in the 4.6 magnitude quake.

It’s not the first time Alberta has been rocked by seismic activity; in 2018, two seismic events were detected near Alberta Beach, and in 2014 a 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit Rocky Mountain House in August, followed by another small earthquake in Banff in October.

PHOTOS: The power outage associated with the earthquake knocked out a Sylvan Lake liquor store’s security system at 5:54 a.m.</s>A 4.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Red Deer area Monday morning.

According to Earthquakes Canada, seismic activity was recorded at about 5:55 a.m. Monday, around 35 kilometres northeast of Red Deer. The 1-km deep earthquake was lightly felt in the Red Deer and Sylvan Lake regions.

The last 4.0 magnitude earthquake recorded in the region was on March 31, 1997.

The quake hit Red Deer and surrounding communities just before 6 a.m., knocking out power to around 4,600 Fortis Alberta customers. A spokesperson said the outage lasted for a little more than an hour.

More to come.

Well that's one way to get shaken awake… I thought it was the wind. Cal asked what it could be since we don't get earthquakes. Just seeing now that Sylvan Lake may be the epicentre as the whole town lost power. Earthquake? Ice quake? Frost quake? Waiting for confirmation. — Denise Jeffrey (@dcjeffrey) March 4, 2019</s>Taimi Mulder, a seismologist, says largest earthquakes in the Sylvan Lake area are around 3.8ML

The 4.6 magnitude earthquake felt in Central Alberta Monday morning is the largest the area has ever experienced, according to seismologists.

Taimi Mulder, an earthquake seismologists with the Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, says the quake was slightly larger than the area has seen.

Normally earthquakes that sit on the higher end of the scale for Central Alberta are around 3.8-4 on the Richter scale.

“We are still classifying this as a light earthquake, but it does seem to be the largest to hit the area,” said Mulder.

READ MORE: Earthquake in Sylvan Lake area leads to blackout

A light earthquake is usually classified in the Magnitude 4 range. In this magnitude, Mulder says there will be shaking and often a loud boom.

However, the event normally doesn’t last long.

“At this range it is usually over pretty quickly, and most people will experience a shock, and are often a bit frightened.”

Normally with a light earthquake, damage and injuries do not occur.

Earthquakes at a Magnitude 3 are considered a minor event, while Magnitude 5 quakes are referred to as a moderate event.

Mulder said the event is still being investigated, but it does not appear to be caused by fracking in the area.

The cause is believed to be from tectonic movement along the Rocky Mountains.

While Central Alberta is a distance away from a fault line, quakes still occur every few years.

“It is very unusual, but not unheard of to have an earthquake in the area,” Mulder said adding, “Normally we see more activity in larger centres such as Calgary, Edmonton or Banff.”

Mulder says the Sylvan Lake area is within those areas that see earthquake more frequently. She said the stress from the fault lines can often be felts a ways away.

The last quake felt in Central Alberta was on Aug. 9, 2014 and was a 3.8 magnitude quake.

The one experienced in 2014 was centralized just west of the March 4 quake which is believed to have been located just south of Sylvan Lake. The area tends to experience an earthquake every three to five years, according to Mulder.

Mulder says another quake is not expected to occur following the Monday morning shock.

“We are still looking into this, but it doesn’t look like there is a danger of any more earthquakes happening after this morning.”

The quake was relatively centralized. Reports say the shock could be felt in Red Deer, Lacombe, Blackfalds, Eckville, Penhold and as far north as Gull Lake.

@MeganSLN

megan.roth@sylvanlakenews.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter</s>A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit central Alberta near Sylvan Lake and Red Deer just before 6 a.m. on Monday, according to Natural Resources Canada (NRC).

NRC shared details on the quake on its website, saying it had a depth of 1 kilometre.

The Alberta Energy Regulator, which oversees seismic activity in the province, is looking into what happened.

The Fortis Alberta website showed there were unplanned power outages in the Sylvan Lake area shortly after 6 a.m., and the power company told Global News it was looking into the cause.

READ MORE: Mystery solved: ice quakes led to ground shifting in Alberta Beach

Residents living in central Alberta took to social media on Monday to share stories of power outages and houses shaking after concerns over a potential earthquake.

It’s not the first time Alberta has been rocked by seismic activity; in 2018, two seismic events were detected near Alberta Beach, and in 2014 a 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit Rocky Mountain House in August, followed by another small earthquake in Banff in October.</s>The Red Deer area was woken up by an earthquake this morning.

Natural Resources Canada said the earthquake had a magnitude of 4.6, which is classified as a light earthquake. The seismic activity was also felt in Sylvan Lake.

The quake hit Red Deer and surrounding communities just before 6 a.m., knocking out power to around 4,600 Fortis Alberta customers. A spokesperson said the outage lasted for a little more than an hour.

AltaLink said a transformer at a substation south of Sylvan Lake tripped around the same time of the quake. The transmission company is still investigating exactly how power was disrupted.

Debbi McGillicky, who lives in the Mountain View area of Red Deer, said she and her husband were rocked out of bed on Monday morning.

“My husband and I were awakened at 5:55 a.m. when our bed began to shake violently. My husband shot up out of bed and exclaimed ‘what the hell was that?’,” she told Postmedia. At the time, she thought the quake was some sort of explosion.

Earthquakes are rare for the Red Deer area; the last recorded quake was in 2016. There was a 4.0-magnitude quake on March 31, 1997.</s>The quake occurred about four kilometres southwest of Red Deer at 5:55 a.m., Earthquakes Canada confirmed in a report on its website. Earthquakes Canada initially reported that the epicentre was a few kilometres north of Red Deer.

The one-kilometre-deep quake was "lightly felt" by residents in Red Deer and Sylvan Lake, the report said.

Colleen Jesse was asleep on the couch in her fourth-floor apartment in downtown Red Deer when the quake startled her awake.

"All of a sudden, the couch was shaking and everything is moving in my apartment," she said. "I sit up ... and I'm going, 'Is my apartment falling down?' And I look out the window and there is nothing.

Jesse said her four-month-old Maltese puppy started barking as the windows began to rattle and shake.

Jesse said it was an unnerving morning. She feels grateful the quake wasn't more powerful.

"[The dog] was looking around wondering what was going and he's kind of growling because he was wondering too, why is everything shaking?

"It was pretty frightening, especially on the fourth floor."

The Alberta Energy Regulator said the earthquake was detected Monday morning about 12 kilometres south of Sylvan Lake. The seismic activity was reported at 6:20 a.m. by Calgary-based oil and gas operator Vesta Energy, the AER said.

"Vesta Energy was conducting hydraulic fracturing activities in the area, but has since stopped," Natalie Brodych, a spokesperson with the AER.

"We are currently reviewing the events to determine if the incident is due to hydraulic fracturing activities or natural causes."

There has been no reports of impact on public safety, infrastructure or the environment, the AER said.

The Geological Survey of Canada has received numerous reports from residents who felt the rumble, said Taimi Mulder, an earthquakes seismologist with the agency.

"People that felt the earthquake said dishes have rattled," Mulder said told CBC News.

"Some people have described it as a truck slamming into the house, so they felt a very short, sharp shock."

It's unlikely the earthquake was powerful enough to cause any damage, Mulder said.</s>Earthquakes Canada has confirmed that seismic activity was detected shortly before 6 a.m. in central Alberta.

According to the government agency, the activity started around 5:56 a.m. in Sylvan Lake and Red Deer.

Residents in the area are reported feeling their houses shaking and power outages in the area.

It has not been confirmed that the activity was an earthquake.</s>Natural Resources Canada has confirmed seismic activity in Central Alberta and says an earthquake was lightly felt in the Red Deer and Sylvan Lake areas on Monday morning.

According to the ministry, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake was felt about 19 km west of Red Deer at about 5:55 a.m.

Jade Cosman lives in Sylvan Lake and says she was jolted out of bed just before 6:00 a.m.

“I just felt this jolt and I, kind of, actually thought I heard something, but I don’t know, I was just flying out of bed and then got up, tried to turn the lights on, everything was off. So, looked out and just the whole town was black,” she said. “It was very scary at first.”

Linda Borsato also lives in Sylvan Lake and says she was having breakfast when the quake occurred.

“There was a pop right as the power went off and then the entire house shook,” she said. “The first thing my husband thought was that it was an explosion somewhere. So we grabbed our phones and turned on the flashlights and went around and had a look outside in the neighbourhood and the entire town was black.”

AltaLink says power was out in the area for about 90 minutes and about 4600 customers were affected.

Officials say there was no damage to infrastructure and that power was restored to all residences by about 7:30 a.m.

Natural Resources Canada collects data from the community about the extent of shaking and damage for earthquakes in Canada. Click HERE to file a report.</s>SYLVAN LAKE, Alta. — Natural Resources Canada says there has been a 4.6 magnitude earthquake in central Alberta.

The federal department’s website says the quake occurred around 5:55 a.m. local time Monday and was lightly felt in Red Deer and in the town of Sylvan Lake to the west.

It says the quake was about a kilometre beneath the surface.

There were no immediate reports of damage but Joanne Gaudet, communications officer for Sylvan Lake, says the power went out in most of the town.

The utility company Fortis was expected to restore full service by mid-morning.

The U.S. Geological Survey website says an earthquake similar to the one that struck Alberta has a sensation like a heavy truck striking a building that can rattle windows and may break some dishes or windows.

Gaudet said there has been seismic activity in the past between Sylvan Lake and the community of Rocky Mountain House.

Gaudet, who lives in Red Deer, said “at the very least it woke me up.”

More to come</s>Earthquakes Canada has confirmed that a 4.6 magnitude earthquake was detected shortly before 6 a.m. in central Alberta.

According to the government agency, the seismic activity started around 5:56 a.m. in Sylvan Lake and Red Deer.

The quake was reported at about a kilometre below the surface.

This is the largest quake ever recorded in the area. In 1984, 1997 and 2001 there were 4.0 magnitude quakes recorded.

Alberta Energy Regulator confirms there were fracking activities taking place in the area this morning, but they can’t confirm that the fracking caused the quake. The fracking has since been stopped.

Dr. David Eaton is a professor of geophysics at the University of Calgary.

“It’s unusual if it’s a natural event, they don’t happen here very often,” Dr. Eaton told CTV News. “In 2001 there was one north east of Dawson Creek in B.C. a little bit bigger than this.”

“Alberta is prone to getting earthquakes related to induced events from oil production or fluid injection and so it’s entirely possible this is an induced event, and there have been a number of those in the last five or six years.”

Residents in the area are reported feeling their houses shaking and power outages in the area.

“Just before six this morning, we were up and having our breakfast and there was a pop right as the power went off, and then the entire house shook,” Linda Borsato, a Sylvan Lake resident told CTV News.

“The first thing that my husband thought is that there was an explosion somewhere.”

Borsato said they looked out the window after the pop and couldn’t see lights on anywhere in Sylvan Lake.

Sylvan Lake Mayor Sean McIntyre says he was at home when the quake struck.

“I thought maybe someone had hit the transformer on my block or something like that and that’s why the power went out, but as I looked out the window I noticed that the power was out in my neighbourhood and as far as I could see across town.”

“It wasn’t until I started hearing reports of an earthquake that I realized that’s what it was.”

McIntyre says power was restored to most residents in the area within two hours. He says he hasn’t had any reports of injuries or damages as a result of the quake.
A 4.6 magnitude earthquake is felt in central Alberta just before 6 a.m. The epicentre was determined to be just south of Red Deer, and is believed to be the result of tectonic activity east of the Rocky Mountains. No structural damage or injuries are reported, and it is unlikely to cause aftershocks.