Johanne Lalonde, age 12, of Eastview, Ontario, Canada, for her question:

Why are there no earthquakes in Canada?

Earthquakes in eastern Canada are few and far between or they have been for some time. Actually, no spot on the whole earth can claim to be earthquake free. These shuddering events can happen anywhere at any time. But as a rule, most of them occur in certain well known restless zones of the earth's crust. Some 2,000 million years ago, when the Laurentians of eastern Canada were growing, the whole region shook with earthquakes and blazed with volcanic fury. But this unrest settled down long ago.

In modern times, the most restless earthquake zones surround the Pacific Ocean. And Canada's western mountains are in this earthquake belt. In 1964, parts of western Canada trembled with the great earthquake that devastated a large area of Alaska. There are other earthquake zones around the world. And it so happens that a small, slightly restless region exists along the course of the St. Lawrence River. However, we have not heard much from it lately, nor is much expected.