1663 Charlevoix earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1663 Charlevoix earthquake was a major earthquake
, with a magnitude between 7.3 and 7.9, that struck the entire eastern part of North America
at 5:30 p.m. on February 5, 1663. The main shock epicentre is suggested to have occurred in the Saint Lawrence River
and along the Saint-Maurice River
.
Great landslides along the Saint Lawrence, Saint-Maurice, and Batiscan River
s made these rivers muddy after the shock. The earthquake was felt sharply in New England
. On the shores of Massachusetts Bay
, the tops of chimneys were broken on houses and pewter was jarred from shelves.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
, with a magnitude between 7.3 and 7.9, that struck the entire eastern part of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
at 5:30 p.m. on February 5, 1663. The main shock epicentre is suggested to have occurred in the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
and along the Saint-Maurice River
Saint-Maurice River
The Saint-Maurice River is a river in central Quebec which flows south from Gouin Reservoir to empty into the Saint Lawrence River at Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The river is 563 km in length and has a drainage basin of 43,300 km² ....
.
Great landslides along the Saint Lawrence, Saint-Maurice, and Batiscan River
Batiscan River
The Bastican River flows in Quebec, Canada. It rises in the Mauricie Region, and empties into the Saint Lawrence River at a point downstream and northeast of Trois-Rivières....
s made these rivers muddy after the shock. The earthquake was felt sharply in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. On the shores of Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay
The Massachusetts Bay, also called Mass Bay, is one of the largest bays of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,...
, the tops of chimneys were broken on houses and pewter was jarred from shelves.
See also
- Charlevoix Seismic ZoneCharlevoix Seismic ZoneThe Charlevoix Seismic Zone is a seismically active area in the Charlevoix region of northeastern Quebec, Canada. It is also known as the Charlevoix-Kamouraska Seismic Zone because earthquakes occur in Kamouraska Country where the land expression of the seismic zone is separated by the Saint...
- List of earthquakes in Canada
- List of earthquakes in the United States