Earthquake hits Tennessee, northeast of Knoxville

Each point on this map represents the epicenter of an earthquake measured by the USGS in the last 30 days; The orange dot surrounded by colored concentric circles reflects the most recent earthquake that hit Tennessee today. Photo: USGS

According to the USGS, a relatively weak earthquake in eastern Tennessee has jolted northeast of Knoxville this morning. No injuries or damage were reported. The 2.6-magnitude earthquake hit at 10:26 this morning from a depth of 15.6 km. The epicenter was located halfway between Knoxville and Morristown. In the last 30 days, eleven earthquakes have struck nearby in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina; Today was the second strongest event in that group, with the strongest being a 3.2-magnitude event that struck near West Canton, North Carolina on June 4.

However, activity in eastern Tennessee appears to be independent of the more frequent activity affecting the western part of the state, near the New Madrid seismic area. The New Madrid Seismic Zone, or NMSZ for short, has a violent history that experts say will repeat itself, though no one is sure when.

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

Earthquake hazards are possible in large areas of the United States. The earthquake hazard map shows peak ground accelerations with a 2 percent probability of exceeding them in 50 years, for a rock-solid location. The map illustrates such risks and is based on the most recent USGS models for the contiguous United States (2018), Hawaii (1998), and Alaska (2007). Image: USGS Comparing the extent of damage between a moderate earthquake in the New Madrid area (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

While the West Coast of the United States is well known for its seismic faults and powerful earthquakes, not many are aware that one of the largest earthquakes to ever 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 rocked northeastern Arkansas in what is now known as the New Madrid seismic zone. The earthquake was felt across much of the eastern United States, shaking people out of bed in places like New York City, Washington, D.C., and Charleston, South Carolina. The ground shook for an incredible 1-3 minutes in areas hit hard by the earthquake, such as Nashville, Tennessee and Louisville, Kentucky. The ground movements were so violent near the epicenter that liquefaction occurred, as dirt and water were thrown dozens of feet into the air. President James Madison and his wife, Dolly, felt the earthquake in the White House while church bells rang in Boston because of the shaking there.

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 6,000-10,000 earthquakes located in “Bothell,” Missouri where the New Mexico seismic zone is centered.

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

Major earthquakes and severe aftershocks caused significant damage and some loss of life, although the lack of scientific tools and news gathering in that era was unable to capture the full scale of what really happened. In addition to the vibrations, earthquakes have also been responsible for triggering unusual natural phenomena in the area: earthquake lights, seismic hot water, and seismic smog.

Residents in the Mississippi Valley reported seeing lights flashing from the ground. Scientists believe that this phenomenon was “seismic luminescence”. This light is created when quartz crystals are compressed into the ground. The “earthquake lights” were turned on 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 matter of if but of when. Photo: USGS

The water flowing into the air from the land, or the nearby Mississippi River, was also unusually warm. Scientists speculate that the resulting intense vibration and 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 emitted light also helped heat the water.

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

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

The area is still seismically active and scientists believe that 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 living in an area that would experience large earthquakes, there could be significant loss of life and property when a large earthquake strikes. Post here again in the future.

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