Earthquakes Rattle North Arkansas and Southeast Missouri today, in the heart of the New Madrid Seismic Zone

Today’s epicenter appears as an orange dot within a group of concentric circles. Photo: USGS

A pair of relatively weak earthquakes hit parts of northern Arkansas and southeastern Missouri today, as dozens of seismic events in recent weeks have unfolded near the heart of a region known as the New Madrid Seismic Zone, or NMSZ for short. 58 earthquakes have rocked the region in the past 30 days, some of them strong or loud enough for residents to feel or hear, according to the US Geological Survey.

The first earthquake occurred at 3:13 a.m. this morning outside Enola, Arkansas. This 1.7-magnitude event occurred at a depth of only 0.9 km. The Faulkner County earthquake north of Little Rock was too weak to generate a “Did you feel it?” Community responses to the USGS website.

The second earthquake occurred 14 minutes later at 3:27 a.m. near the Mississippi River in southeastern Missouri. The center of the somewhat stronger event hit 2.1 degrees north and east of downtown Steel, Missouri. The Missouri earthquake hit Pemiscot County, south of New Madrid County, Missouri. One resident used “Did you feel it?” A tool in the early morning hours for reporting some weak vibrations to the USGS at the time of the earthquake. Although it was stronger than the previous Arkansas earthquake, it was too weak to cause any damage or injuries.

This region has witnessed a large number of earthquakes in recent weeks; Fortunately, most of them were small, and no damage was reported or expected. However, this area is also home to a catastrophic earthquake in the 19th century that scientists believe could be repeated at some point in the future.

This map shows earthquakes from the last 7 days, with each point reflecting a unique earthquake epicenter. The white dots are the oldest of the earthquakes while the yellow ones are the most recent; Orange is the latest. The red circle is drawn around the heart of the New Madrid seismic zone. The Mississippi River can be seen moving down the middle of this satellite image. Photo: USGS

December 16 marks the anniversary of the first three major earthquakes to hit the United States during the winter of 1811-1812, a violent time in the region’s earthquake history that scientists say will repeat again.

While the West Coast of the United States is well known for its seismic faults and strong earthquakes, not many are aware that one of the largest earthquakes to hit the country actually occurred near the Mississippi River. On December 16, 1811, at about 2:15 a.m., a powerful 8.1-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Arkansas in what is now the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The earthquake was felt across much of the eastern United States, with people shaking from their bed in places like New York City, Washington, D.C., and Charleston, South Carolina. The ground shook for an incredible 1-3 minutes in hard-hit areas, such as Nashville, Tennessee and Louisville, Kentucky. Earth movements were very violent near the epicenter, causing land liquefaction, throwing dirt and water into the air by tens of feet. The quake was felt in the White House by President James Madison and his wife, Dolly, while church bells rang out in Boston due to the shaking there.

Comparison of the extent of damage between an average earthquake in the New Madrid region (1895, magnitude 6.8), and a similar event in Los Angeles (1994, magnitude 6.7). Yellow indicates where the vibration is felt; Red indicates at least minor damage to buildings and their contents. Photo: USGS

But the earthquakes did not end there. From December 16, 1811 through March, 1812, more than 2,000 earthquakes were reported in the Central Midwest with 6000–10,000 earthquakes located in Bothell, Missouri where the New Madde Seismic Zone is centered.

The second major shock, with a magnitude of 7.8, occurred in Missouri weeks later on January 23, 1812, and the third, 8.8, struck on February 7, 1812, along the Reelfoot Fault in Missouri and Tennessee.

Major earthquakes and severe aftershocks caused severe damage and some loss of life, although the lack of scientific tools and news gathering in that era was not able to capture the full scale of what actually happened. In addition to vibrations, earthquakes were also responsible for creating unusual natural phenomena in the region: seismic lights, seismic hot water, and seismic smog.

Residents of the Mississippi Valley reported seeing lights flashing from the ground. Scientists believe that this phenomenon was “seismic luminescence.” This light is generated when quartz crystals are compressed into the ground. Earthquake Lights were triggered during initial earthquakes and strong aftershocks.

Since 1974, there have been more than 4,000 earthquakes near the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Scientists believe that a major earthquake here in the future is not a question of if but when. Photo: USGS

The water flowing in the air from the land, or the nearby Mississippi River, was also unusually warm. Scientists speculate that the intense vibration and resulting friction heated the water, similar to the way a microwave oven stimulates molecules to vibrate and generate heat. Other scientists believe that as the quartz crystals contracted, the light emitted also helped heat the water.

During strong earthquakes, the sky was so dark that residents claimed that the lit lamps did not help illuminate the area; They also said the air was smelly and hard to breathe. Scientists speculate that this “seismic smog” was caused by dust particles rising from the surface, combining with warm water particles erupting into the cold winter air. The result was a dusty, steamy cloud that covered the areas dealing with the earthquake.

The February earthquake was so severe that boats on the Mississippi River reported that the flow of water there reversed for several hours.

The area is still seismically active and scientists believe another strong earthquake will affect the area again at some point in the future. Unfortunately, the science is not mature enough to know whether this threat will arrive next week or in 50 years. Either way, given the large population of the New Madrid seismic zone compared to the sparsely populated area in the early 19th century, and the tens of millions who live in an area that would experience major earthquakes, there could be significant loss of life and property when a major earthquake strikes. Post here again in the future.

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