Attribution ro Phoenix7777 – Own workData source
I have gone through five earth quakes. The first back in 1988, during a private celebration in a resort at Montebello Quebec. Our room was underneath a kitchen and we heard a loud rumbling sound. No shaking. Thought it was one of those heavily loaded kitchen carts going across the kitchen. Nope, an earthquake. One other memorable event from that weekend was spraying the room with water because we did not know how to use a jacuzzi. Long story. Found out, in the newspaper, next day that it was an earthquake.
Next earthquake was, in Ottawa, in the early 1990’s. A mild shaking one evening in the bedroom. Turned on the radio to find out if it was an earthquake. Of course, it was. As soon as the radio was turned on, heard the station playing “shake, rattle and roll” Comedians.
Third earthquake in Mesa, in the mid 2010’s. In the living room, watching tv. Faily mild, barely felt it. Fourth earthquake about four years back, on the way to Mesa, in Salt Lake City. Bed shaking in the early morning. Was that an earthquake? Of course, it was. Had to put on the tv, to confirm it.
And now, last night. Watching the hockey game, in the bedroom. Bed rolling for about ten seconds. What the…? Felt I was in an Exorcist movie. Waiting to hear the Tubular Bells song (Google it). This time, instead of checking the tv news (was watching a hockey game) or turning on the radio, I checked FaceBook and twitter. How technology has evolved. From finding out in the newspaper, to the radio, the tv, and now, social media. I am keeping up with the times.
Turns out, Northern Alberta, had a series of earthquakes, last night. The one I felt occurred near Peace River, 200 miles away, with a magnitude of 5.6 or 5.8. They are still deciding. It is the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Alberta.
Alberta is oil country. Our NHL team is called the Oilers. Our junior team is called the Oil Kings. Northern Alberta has seen a lot of fracking lately. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines fracking as,
“the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc. so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas.”
Alberta is not really earthquake country. But we have seen an increase, of late. Oklahoma, an oil producer, with a recent history of fracking, has experienced the same. Is there a frelationship between fracking and earthquakes. Depends on who you talk to. This chirp is not going to get into it. However, many people are claiming that yesterday’s earthquakes occurred about an hour after our Premier introduced the concept of the Sovereignty Act, where the province would be given powers to ignore federal laws. Yep. That could be it.