How common are earthquakes in the Memphis area?

Wednesday night’s tremor has prompted many of you to wonder if earthquakes in the Memphis area are unusual.

Memphis, Tennessee – If you haven’t lived in the Memphis area for a long time, you might be surprised to learn that the Mid-South is on top of an active fault line, and earthquakes are not uncommon.

Gary Patterson is a geologist at the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information. There, a team of researchers studied earthquakes and fault lines from around the country and the world.

In fact, Memphis explains, on the southern fringes of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, our region experiences more than 400 earthquakes each year. Most are too small to be felt, but a few are noticeable.

RELATED: 4.0-magnitude earthquake shakes Missouri, felt in parts of Memphis

History of the seismic zone of New Madrid

The area of ​​fault lines extending across southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, and western Tennessee, also known as the New Madrid Seismic Zone, is known for a large series of earthquakes in the winter of 1811 and 1812.

The largest of these earthquakes is said to have changed the course of the Mississippi River, created many rainbow lakes including Reelfoot Lake, and caused church bells to ring as far away as Boston.

Since then, there have been many other earthquakes, but none of them have been as powerful. In March of 1976, a 5.0-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter near the marked tree caused minor damage in Memphis. More recently, the 2019 earthquake in northwest Tennessee also caused mild tremors south of Memphis.

Why do earthquakes here travel farther than places like California?

People would feel a 4.0-magnitude earthquake in Missouri much further away than a 4.0-magnitude earthquake in California. This is because the rocks east of the Rockies are older than those in places like California, and are often much denser with fewer cracks. This allows earthquakes on the East Coast to travel uninterruptedly through hundreds of miles of rock, free of any fissures to slow the tremors.

Earthquake safety tips

While earthquakes are unpredictable, there are a few things you can do to prepare.

First, remember to keep an emergency kit of non-perishable foods, water, and medicines in your home. This may also be useful for other types of inclement weather, such as winter storms and hurricanes.

When the shaking starts, experts say fall down, cover up, and wait! Try covering your head by crawling under a sturdy piece of furniture, such as a desk or table. If you are in bed, turn your face down and cover your head with a pillow.

After a major earthquake, use extreme caution. Most likely, power lines will fall, gas leaks and fires.

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