The New Madrid Fault Line, Where Missouri Stands

The New Madrid Seismic Zone

An earthquake is a natural phenomenon resulting from an abrupt release of energy that is stored in the Earth 's crust . This sudden release of energy creates seismic waves . At the surface of the Earth , earthquakes may show up by way of shaking or the displacement of the ground Sometimes tsunamis are caused in this way . Both earthquakes and tsunamis may result in loss of life as well as property destruction ( Earthquake

Earthquakes are caused by friction between tectonic plates . As these plates get stuck , they put

a strain on the Earth 's surface . This strain could turn out to be so significant that rocks may give way and fault lines may be created . Earthquakes may also be caused by human activities on the surface of the Earth . Such activities may include the extraction of minerals as well as fossil fuel from the crust of the Earth the removal of or the injection of fluids into the Earth 's crust huge explosions and the collapse of massive buildings ( Earthquake Humans have not yet been able to accurately predict when or where earthquakes would occur . All that they are equipped to do at this time is to estimate the effects of potential earthquakes ( Estimating Earthquake Losses ' 50 . Even so , the potential loss of human life due to earthquakes cannot be predicted

In the history of continental United States , the largest known earthquakes have happened in the Mississippi Valley . Estimated over magnitude 8 , these earthquakes occurred in the years 1811 and 1812 . The New Madrid Seismic Zone was held responsible for the earthquakes . This Zone centers on the New Madrid fault system , and extends from northeastern Arkansas through southeast Missouri and extreme western Tennessee as well as Kentucky to the southern tip of the state of Illinois . The geological features of the Midwestern United States allow the transmission

THE NEW MADRID SEISMIC ZONE

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of seismic waves over a large region . Hence , a major New Madrid earthquake may cause damage to regions away from the New Madrid zone to boot . This larger area covered by an earthquake is what the New Madrid Seismic Zone is made up of . The Zone includes a huge part of eastern Arkansas and Missouri , northwestern Mississippi , western Tennessee as well as Kentucky , in addition to southern Illinois and Indiana (Farley 1-2

The 1812 New Madrid earthquake was so intense that it caused the Mississippi to begin flowing backward . The earthquake laid waste to whole cities , from Chicago to New Orleans , and within minutes obliterated innumerable lives . Flood , fire , and chaos followed the earthquake , making the destruction caused by the seismic waves even more serious (Williams

The American heartland has drastically changed ever since the largest earthquake in the continental United States occurred . Missouri is , of course , more populated than it was at the time of the largest earthquake . Human activities that may bring about an earthquake have also increased . Besides , the Mississippi is nowadays penned within a modern system of reservoirs...