The 2000 Kipwa earthquake was a 5.2 magnitude

Moment magnitude scale

The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...

 earthquake

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...

 that struck Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

 and Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 at 6:22 a.m. on Saturday, January 1, 2000. It occurred in the Western Quebec Seismic Zone

Western Quebec Seismic Zone

The Western Quebec Seismic Zone is a large seismically active area that surrounds the Ottawa Valley from Montreal to Témiscaming, as well as the Laurentian Mountains and Eastern Ontario. It is monitored by a local seismographic network which is synced to the Canadian National Seismic network. It...

.

The main shock epicenter

Epicenter

The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...

 was located in Lake Kipawa about 10 km (6 mi) north of Témiscaming

Témiscaming, Quebec

Témiscaming is a town located at the south end of Lac Témiscamingue on the upper Ottawa River in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality of western Quebec, Canada. Also nearby is Lake Kipawa.-History:...

 in southwestern Quebec and 70 km (43 mi) northeast of North Bay, Ontario

North Bay, Ontario

North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...

. The shaking associated with this earthquake was strongest within 50 km (31 mi) of the epicenter. It was felt in Témiscaming, North Bay and as far away as Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, making it one of the most significant earthquakes in Canada in 2000. The earthquake was triggered by major thrust fault

Thrust fault

A thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative movement, in which rocks of lower stratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger...

s associated with the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben

Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben

The Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben , with its branch the Timiskaming Graben, is an ancient rift valley in the Canadian Shield of Northeastern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. This rift valley was formed when the Earth's crust moved downward about a kilometre between two major fault zones known as the Mattawa...

. A total of 17 aftershock

Aftershock

An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...

s were recorded.

Minor damage was reported during this earthquake, including fallen light objects, a damaged ventilation pipe and fractures in plaster

Plaster

Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...

.

The earthquake's epicenter was very close to the epicenter of the 1935 Timiskaming earthquake

1935 Timiskaming earthquake

The 1935 Timiskaming earthquake was a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that occurred on November 1, 1935 in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec...

and lies in a group of 76 located earthquakes since 1935.