![]() ![]() ![]() The New Madrid Seismic Zone is unique, though, because by all accounts it should not even exist in the first place, Sandvol said. There possibly would be as many as 86,000 casualties and direct economic impacts of $300 billion within the region, the study found. They are probably the most enigmatic earthquakes on the planet."Īn October 2009 impact study conducted by the Mid-America Earthquake Center, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, notes if the three fault segments in the seismic zone rupture in a single event, it could result in a 7.7 magnitude earthquake.Īn estimated 715,000 buildings in an eight-state region would be damaged, including 130 hospitals. The problem is we don't understand these earthquakes. "Those are both extreme positions," Sandvol said. Some people believe there is no longer a chance for earthquakes as severe as those in 1811-12, while others believe we are about due for another major earthquake, he said. Sandvol has an emphasis in geophysics, tectonics and solid earth processes. There are at least two schools of thought regarding the New Madrid Seismic Zone, said Eric Sandvol, professor of geological sciences at the University of Missouri and vice chair of the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission. New Madrid Seismic Zone an enigma for researchers The majority of earthquakes over the past six months measured between 1.0-2.0 magnitude, according to a recent earthquakes map from the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information. ![]() The New Madrid Seismic Zone sees regular activity. "We want people to be aware of the risks and to know how to prepare, because when that really big one does happen, we want to minimize the risks," he said. If a similar earthquake were to happen in the region like those from from 210 years ago, the damage would be extreme throughout Missouri and the Midwest, Briggs said. "It was more of a scary event, more of a wake-up call for people in southeast Missouri than it was an extremely damaging event," he said. Reports after the November earthquake in southeast Missouri noted car alarms were activated, photographs wobbled on walls, dishes were broken and a couple of buildings had structural damage, Briggs said. It is one of the largest active seismic zones," Briggs said "(We want to) outline the earthquake risk centering in southeast Missouri. The New Madrid region sees about 200 small earthquakes per year, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance reported. ![]()
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