'Earthquake swarm' shakes New Brunswick village

Residents in a small southwestern New Brunswick community may continue to feel minor earthquakes for several more days or even weeks, according to a Natural Resources Canada seismologist.

McAdam has been hit with five small earthquakes since Saturday in what isknown asan "earthquake swarm." The last one was felt at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"Certainly we are seeing what we are calling an earthquake swarm," said John Adams, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

"It is a number of earthquakes all of similar and small size all happening in the McAdam area."

The first earthquakehappened at 1:40 a.m. on March 10, which had a magnitude of 2.4. Three minutes later, an aftershock with a magnitude of 1.4 was recorded.

Two more earthquakeswere recorded on Tuesday within roughly 20 minutes of each other.The small quakes had magnitudes of2.0 and 1.9 respectively. A third quake was felt at 7:30 p.m.

Adams said these small earthquakes could happen for several more days or even weeks.

"We are absolutely certain that they are earthquakes that are underground. They are unpredictable. Of course you dont know when the next one is going to happen," he said.

Earthquake swarms often happen in Ontario and Canadas North,Adams said, but do not pose risks.

These minor quakes are still unsettling for many people who live in the area.

Gloria Nason said her house hasnt sustained any damage and the only noticeable effectwas apicture falling from the wall.

But she said the events are scary.

"We had two very large bursts of something, they are just like great big bangs like an explosion, very eerie, very scary," she said

She said itfelt like "a bunch of dynamite going off."