Oldest dated earthquake in Yukon Territory, Canada

A strong earthquake was recorded by Hudson's Bay Company trader–explorer Robert Campbell on December 27, 1850 at Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory. A search of records from the region failed to find any other record of the earthquake. The duration of shaking and lack of aftershocks at Fort Selkirk...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
Main Author: Jackson Jr., Lionel E.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:French
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1990
Subjects:
General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Yukon
Canada
Richardson Mountains
Fort Selkirk
Mackenzie mountains
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e90-084
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e90-084
Description
Summary:A strong earthquake was recorded by Hudson's Bay Company trader–explorer Robert Campbell on December 27, 1850 at Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory. A search of records from the region failed to find any other record of the earthquake. The duration of shaking and lack of aftershocks at Fort Selkirk suggest that the earthquake exceeded magnitude 6 and did not have a local source. The modified Mercalli intensity of VI or greater at Fort Selkirk is not compatible with lower intensities experienced there from large earthquakes along the plate margin and in the Mackenzie Mountains. The Denali fault system in southwestern Yukon and the southern Richardson Mountains are the most likely sources of the earthquake.

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