Photo: USGS

Approximate location of a quake north of Oliver Monday, Dec. 4.

Oliver and area residents were rattled Monday afternoon when many felt the earth shake and heard a loud bang, leaving many wondering what they had just experienced.

The U.S. Geological Survey and Earthquakes Canada report that just after 2 p.m., a 3.2 magnitude earthquake took place a few kilometres north of Oliver, at a less than 10-kilometre depth.

Nearby resident Stan Marshall recalled the experience.

"I felt a big rumble, and heard a big bang," Marshall said.

"I looked out my back door and my dogs were booking it home like they were scared. I went around my house thinking my roof had collapsed, then called my wife in town and she said they felt it there too ... it's the talk of the town right now."

Initially, the U.S. Geological Survey had the incident listed as an "explosion," which had the town talking even more.

That has since been changed to a normal earthquake incident.