Missouri lies on the second largest fault line in North America. Though there are many questions about the unique aspects of fault zones and seismic activity in the central United States, earthquake activity in Missouri is a fact.
At 2:15 a.m. on December 16, 1811, residents of the frontier town of New Madrid, in what is now Missouri, were jolted from their beds by a violent earthquake. Earthquake Hazard in the New Madrid Seismic Zone Remains a Concern; 2009; FS; 2009-3071; Frankel, A. D.; Applegate, D.; Tuttle, M. P.; Williams, R. A. A 3.7 magnitude earthquake rumbled through parts of Missouri and Arkansas early Thursday morning, geologists say.
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Details about the New Madrid, Missouri Earthquakes.The 1811-1812 New Madrid sequence consisted of three large earthquakes:The first earthquake was followed by 6 aftershocks in the range M5.5-6.3 in the first 2 days.
However, it is unknown whether this <550 yr recurrence interval has been constant throughout the Holocene given limited geomorphic evidence of prior...Earthquake activity in parts of the central United States has increased dramatically in recent years. Experts say there’s a 25 to 40 percent chance for a major earthquake in a fifty year period.
The first earthquake, a M2.0 tremor, hit 1:40 a.m. CST (7:40 UTC), 7km SSE of New Madrid, Missouri, at a depth of 4.2 miles (6.8 km).
It explains the need for concern about earthquakes for those residents and describes what one can expect...A series of earthquakes hit the New Madrid seismic zone of southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, and adjacent parts of Tennessee and Kentucky, in December 1811 to February 1812.
A "damaging" earthquake (6.0 or greater) occurs in this area about every 80 years, according to seismologists. Most Missourians are familiar with the large 1811-1812 earthquakes that occurred in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) in southeast Missouri.
Putting down roots in earthquake country-Your handbook for earthquakes in the Central United States; 2011; GIP; 119; Contributors: Dart, Richard; McCarthy, Jill; McCallister, Natasha; Williams, Robert A. Many structures in Memphis, Tenn., St. Louis, Mo., and other communities in the central Mississippi River Valley region are vulnerable and at risk from severe ground shaking. Earthquake Hazard in the Heart of the Homeland; 2002; FS; 131-02; Geological Survey (U.S.) The geological record of the region indicates the recurrence of major seismic events.
The New Madrid Seismic Zone has been rattled by 3 earthquakes in the last 10 hours.
Largest earthquakes, significant events, lists and maps by magnitude, by year, or by location. The Geologic Hazards Map Series highlights the potential for geologic and natural hazards, while the Debris Management Map Series helps to provide guidance for the management of waste debris following a disaster.
Format. Earthquake Information for St. Louis, Missouri. When was the last earthquake in Missouri? Hundreds reported feeling the quake in Missouri, according to the USGS, with the most significant shaking occurring in Sikeston, a small city about nine miles away from the epicenter.Outside of Missouri, the temblor was felt in Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Indiana. Much of the historic earthquake research done in the United States has focused on the New Madrid Seismic Zone...Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
In the past 20 years, ... it’s an inappropriate allocation of resources to act as if a big earthquake is as likely in Missouri as in California.
The first earthquake was followed by 6 aftershocks in the range M5.5-6.3 in the first 2 days. or redistributed. And the one that struck early Tuesday does not necessarily change the forecast for future earthquakes in the area.Seismologists estimate there is a 25 to 40 percent chance a magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquake will strike the region in the next 50 years, Patterson said, and just a seven to 10 percent probability a massive 7.5 to 8.0 magnitude temblor will occur within the next half-century.Tuesday's shaking comes nearly 200 years to the day after a powerful earthquake in nearly the same spot destroyed New Madrid, Mo., and heavily damaged St. Louis.The Feb. 7, 1812 quake, which seismologists today guess was about 7.7 in magnitude, reportedly cracked sidewalks in Washington, D.C., and caused church bells to ring as far away as Boston and Toronto.