Arkansas earthquakes could be warning

[The Sushi Bandit]

story at: http://current.com/items/89575076/arkansas_earthquakes_could_be_warning.htm

[Xipe Totec]

1. Earth to Humanity:

Okay, guys, listen up,

Stop fucking with me, or we're all getting screwed.


Did anybody stop to think what would happen to the Earth's crust, when the weight of the Antartic ice cover was removed from Antartica?

[Esra Star]

10. I'll bite.....what will happen? nt

[Xipe Totec]

11. Australia will fall off the Earth

and crush the turtles holding up the world.

[Esra Star]

12. Noooooooooo...!!

not the turtles, anything but the turtles. dear god....

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Could this activity be related to a reawakening of volcanoes?

I don't pretend to be a scientist, but I do know a bit of history of the area of southwest AR. Hot Springs and Mt. Ida and Murphreysboro are sites that indicate volcanic activity in the past. Could the volcanoes be reawakening and causing the tremors?

[happyslug]

5. No, this relates to the Madrid Mo Fault.

Unlike the most common earthquake faults, which tend to be around volcano areas (do to the fact both are related to the movement of Continental plates against each other) these are mid Continent faults and how they interact is less known then the more common earthquakes in California and the "Ring of Fire" the circles the Pacific ocean (Where Various Continental plates come into contact with the Pacific plate and slowly pushing themselves over the Pacific plate).

The New Madrid Earthquake of 1811 was about 8.0 on the Richter scale (Through this is hard to judge to to the lack of population in Missouri at that time, but the earthquake forced the Mississippi to flow BACK WARDS for about three days (From reports of the time period, recorded long afterward so questionable as to the length of time) do to the upheaval of the earth). The Quake rang church bells in Boston and is believe to have toppled a chimney in Maine. The actual area of slippage was one of the widest ever found, basically from Northern Arkansas through Missouri to south west Illinois about where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet (The whole fault slipped, but just a part as in common in most other earthquakes). Everyone between the Mountains (The Appalachians and the Rockies) felt it, the great Indian chief Tecumseh called it the Sign of the Great Spirit to fight the White-man (The Tecumseh's actions in that regard lead to the War of 1812, the only war the US ever fought to kill one man, Tecumseh, but that is another story).

Such an earthquake is estimated to occur every 200-300 years (Some people say 250-400 years, other 200 or so years, but all of these estimates are educated guesses more then predictions). Thus the importance of these quakes are they signs of a build up of stresses that will lead to another New Madrid Earthquake? No one knows but something is happening, it may be a build up of stresses, or a relieving of stress (And thus a DELAY in the next earthquake). Only time will tell.

More on the New Madrid earthquake:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Earthquake
http://www.essortment.com/all/newmadrideart_pvm.htm

Some eyewitness account of the quakes:
http://asms.k12.ar.us/armem/richards/eyewit.htm

Newspaper AccountS:
http://asms.k12.ar.us/armem/richards/news.htm

A place for information on the effect of the quakes (Where I go the above two cites):
http://asms.k12.ar.us/armem/richards/

USGS cite on New Madrid Fault:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1811-1812.php

Papers on this Fault:
http://www.eas.slu.edu/Earthquake_Center/eqhist.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. However, I've read elsewhere that these tremors

were not related to the New Madrid Fault. This is why they are concerned--is something new happening that they weren't planning on? I used to live in Southern Illinois and read extensively on the history of the Fault. We're due again ca 2012. There have been earthquakes in Southern Illinois in my lifetime, one in 1968 that did extensive damage to buildings and a smaller one in 1972. The latter was on the Lawrenceville Fault, which I believe has been active this year as well.

[Algorem]

3. can a earthquake trash a trailer park?

[ashling]

8. Wouldn't that be sort of redundant?

just sayin'

[AlinPA]

4. Maybe Jaysus is coming to Arkinsaw.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Or maybe the center of the North American Plate

is cracking in new ways that are giving scientists a bit of a worry. Since St. Louis and Memphis are on or near the New Madrid fault line, there is genuine cause for concern. There is geological evidence that a major quake has happened in this region every 200 years--and the last one was in 1812. The Mississippi and Ohio Rivers ran backwards and changed course as islands sank and banks of the rivers collapsed. Could cause serious loss of life this time around. It is so serious that there have been earthquake plans in place for over 20 years (used to live in the region and dealt with this sort of planning). These new tremors are unsettling. There's been seismic activity to the east of the New Madrid on the Lawrenceville Fault (basically the border between Illinois and Indiana)--and now these tremors in central Arkansas, to the west of the New Madrid. Not something to joke too much about, really.

[happyslug]

9. Duplicate from 1/29/2008 but I only saw it on 12/1/2008

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3622680