Earthquakes Canada has verified that a magnitude 3.5 earthquake felt extensively throughout Greater Sudbury on Friday morning was caused by mining operations in the area. The seismic event occurred at 11:20 a.m. ET and was traced back to Vale’s Creighton Mine near the community of Lively in Greater Sudbury.
Vale, in an email to CBC News, confirmed the earthquake’s origin and assured that all employees were safe with adherence to established safety protocols. Claire Perry, an earthquake seismologist at Earthquakes Canada, explained that the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth ranging between one and 10 kilometers, indicating its association with mining activities.
Another earthquake of magnitude 2.9 earlier in the week also had its epicenter at the Creighton Mine. Perry emphasized that Sudbury is not typically prone to natural earthquakes, and seismic events in the area are usually linked to nearby industrial operations, such as mining activities.
She further noted that mining-induced earthquakes are usually less intense than natural ones and are unlikely to cause significant damage.