Yesterday, a M3.0 quake and today several tremors hit inside the New Madrid Fault Line.
The New Madrid Seismic Zone is continuously shaking since about one month now, when a M3.7 earthquake rumbled parts of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas on September 12, 2019. This strong quake for the region was followed by a series of small quakes near Lilbourn, Missouri.
In addition, a small M3.0 earthquake rattled southeastern Missouri, yesterday, Oct. 12. And today 2 more small earthquakes hit near Lilbourn and Ridgely, right in the red zone of the New Madrid Fault.
The magnitude 3.0 earthquake occurred just before 8 a.m. Saturday and was centered about 2.7 miles (4 kilometers) southwest of Lilbourn. Although, no reports of damage or injuries were received, more than 40 reported feeling the quake on the USGS homepage.
Earthquakes in the central or eastern United States effect much larger areas than earthquakes of similar magnitude in the western United States. For example, the San Francisco, California, earthquake of 1906 (magnitude 7.8) was felt 350 miles away in the middle of Nevada, whereas the New Madrid earthquake of December 1811 rang church bells in Boston, Massachusetts, 1,000 miles away. Differences in geology east and west of the Rocky Mountains cause this strong contrast.
Recent studies have indicated that the New Madrid Seismic Zone is not the only ‘hot spot’ for earthquakes in the Central United States.
On June 18, 2002, a 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck Evansville, Indiana with an epicenter between Mt. Vernon and West Franklin in Posey County, in an area that is part of the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. According to the Indiana University Indiana Geological Survey, while there was minor damage associated with the earthquake, the tremor was a warning to residents of the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone that earthquakes can, and do, strike close to home.
The Wabash Valley Seismic Zone is located in Southeastern Illinois and Southwestern Indiana and it is capable of producing ‘New Madrid’ size earthquake events. Since the discovery of this seismic zone, earthquake awareness and preparedness have increased. Residents are seeing that moderate sized earthquakes are not just occurring to the south, but occur right at home and can affect Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.
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