OFI SF5 Investigation of Seismicity Offshore Nova Scotia and Newfoundland

Seismicity rates offshore Atlantic Canada are relatively low and attract less attention than the

west coast of North America. However, strong earthquakes, for which the recurrence time is not

quantified yet, can still occur in the Maritimes. For example, the 1929 magnitude-7.2 \"Grand

Banks\" earthquake generated a massive submarine landslide that triggered a tsunami that

inundated southern Newfoundland, killing 28 and creating widespread damage to coastal

communities of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Recent studies have suggested that most

historical submarine landslides on the Scotian margin have been triggered by earthquakes.

However, the regional seismicity (Fig. 1) and fault structures remain poorly understood and

documented, due to the lack of nearby seismic stations. This project aims to detect and locate 1-2

orders of magnitude more small earthquakes and so, for the first time, delineate seismic fault

zones offshore of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland using a dense temporary seismic network (Fig.

1) and state-of-the-art seismic detection and location methods. The Seed project is focused on

comprehensive investigation of the seismicity and fault distribution in the region. This will in

turn improve our understanding of seismic and tsunami hazard risk assessment for offshore Nova

Scotia and Newfoundland and its onshore impact.