Small earthquake strikes New Brunswick

Epicenter of New Brunswick earthquake

A 3.6 magnitude earthquake shook parts of New Brunswick, just 20 kilometers northeast of Fredericton, Thursday evening.

According to Earthquakes Canada, the quake would have been felt 20 to 50 kilometers from the epicenter and struck around 7:47pm.

More than 100 people reported it. People in the area say it shook their floors and rattled their homes. Some say it sounded like thunder while others were worried someone was breaking into their home.

Trevor Allen, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, says it was a small quake that would have been felt, but wouldn't have caused any damage.

He adds earthquakes around Fredericton aren’t very common and happen about once every five years.

He says the quake was caused by stress in the rocks, and there is potential for some small aftershocks.