A series of minor earthquakes have occurred in northeastern British Columbia over the past five days, with all signs pointing to fracking as the likely cause, according to Earthquakes Canada.
The first quake, measuring 4.2 in magnitude, struck northwest of Fort St. John, approximately 286 kilometers northeast of Prince George, early Sunday morning. A smaller 3.2 magnitude tremor followed on Monday afternoon.
On Thursday, two more earthquakes hit within two hours of each other in the same area, with magnitudes of 4.8 and 4.0. Earthquakes Canada classified all four incidents as “suspected industry-related” events, suggesting a connection to fracking in the region, according to John Cassidy, an earthquake seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.
Cassidy explained that these were likely “induced” earthquakes linked to hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking. This method involves injecting water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure deep underground to release natural gas from rock formations.
“Earthquakes can be induced by activities such as mining, oil, and gas extraction,” Cassidy noted. “In particular, they can be triggered by injecting fluids into the ground or by wastewater disposal.”
Scientists were able to link these quakes to industrial activity by cross-referencing earthquake data with information from the B.C. Energy Regulator about nearby operations at the time.
While the area around Fort St. John is known for industrial activity, Cassidy noted that the frequency of these recent events is unusual. He added that only people within about 20 kilometers of the epicenter likely felt the smaller quakes, although reports indicated that the larger tremor on Thursday was felt as far away as Fort St. John, roughly 100 kilometers from the epicenter.
“It’s common to feel shaking from earthquakes of this magnitude,” Cassidy said. “However, they generally cause mild shaking without any significant damage.”