No injuries reported as earthquakes rock Nunavut’s High Arctic

(Updated Jan. 9, 2:45 p.m.)  NEWS: Nunavut January 09, 2017 - 8:30 am

Seismic event centered near Resolute Bay measured at magnitude of 5.8; second quake Jan. . People in Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay and Arctic Bay felt the impact of a moderate earthquake that occurred at 5:47 p.m. central time Jan. 8, centred at a spot about 93 kilometres east-southeast of Resolute Bay. Earthquakes Canada said the seismic event was of a magnitude of 5.8—or “moderate”— on the Richter scale, which is used to measure the severity of earthquakes. A 5.8 earthquake can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings. The Earthquakes Canada agency, a unit within Natural Resources Canada, later revised its 5.9 magnitude estimate to 5.8. On Jan. 9, a second earthquake was reported to have hit the same region at about noon central time, Natural Resources Canada’s website noted. This time around, the magnitude was slightly less, at 5.1 on the Richter scale. Following the Jan. 8 earthquake, community reports say the earthquake’s shock waves were were also felt in Grise Fiord, Pond Inlet and Arctic Bay. There have been no reports of injuries, although Facebook postings said houses moved and that a window had been broken. And, if you felt the ground move, you can fill out a “felt report form” for Natural Resources Canada here. According to data gathered by the Geological Survey of Canada, the northeast coast of Baffin Island and the High Arctic islands have a particularly high incidence of earthquakes. In the polar regions, scientists have noted that earthquakes are on the rise, and that some of these may be associated with global warming. That’s because the pressure of glaciers suppresses earthquakes, so when this ice melts, the pressure release can trigger earthquakes in a movement known as post-glacial rebound.