Wave of earthquakes hit two states as scientists fear ‘big quake’ coming

A series of earthquakes struck a massive 150-foot-long fault line in the Midwest that scientists say was overdue for a mega-quake.

This little-known New Madrid is located in the heart of America, passing through Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois.

The US Geological Survey detected eight earthquakes between December 6 and 11.

Missouri had seven that affected Howardville, Matthews, Martson Hayward and Cooter, and Ridgely, Tennessee had one.

The largest quakes were magnitudes 3.0 and 2.6 and struck near Howardville, and the others were around magnitude 2.

Any earthquake below magnitude 2.5 is usually not felt, but shaking can be detected by a seismograph.

Scientists have warned that the fault line could generate magnitude 7 or more within the next 50 years.

The chances of an earthquake of this magnitude occurring are about 40 percent, but “with each passing year the probability increases,” said Robbie Myers, emergency coordinator for the Missouri Department of Safety.

About seven earthquakes shook the region in nine hours, with the 3.0 magnitude quake recorded at 6:27 a.m. ET.

And on December 11, all eight were detected in Howardville.

The region has not experienced a major earthquake in over 200 years.

The last powerful seismic activity occurred between 1811 and 1812, when three earthquakes were “estimated to be between magnitude 7 and 8,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The swarm destroyed settlements and “significantly affected the landscape,” officials reported.

Although this week’s swarm of earthquakes is not necessarily a sign that the New Madrid Fault is about to produce a larger earthquake, experts said nearby residents should still prepare for a major seismic event.

A magnitude 8 earthquake in this region could kill thousands of people, destroy bridges over the Mississippi River, shut down major highways such as Interstate 55 and rupture oil and gas pipelines, Myers previously told DailyMail .com.

Experts believe that the greatest destruction would occur in St. Louis, Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee. But an event of this magnitude would cause nationwide disruption.

A devastating earthquake of magnitude 6 or greater occurs approximately once every 80 years in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The last event of this magnitude occurred in 1895 near Charleston, Missouri, 129 years ago. So, this fault is long overdue for a large earthquake.

“(An earthquake) in the next 50 years is a strong possibility, and people should take precautions,” Myers said.

“At the moment, there is nothing more urgent. And with each passing year, the probability increases.

The NMSZ is one of the most seismically active zones east of the Rocky Mountains. So swarms like Monday’s are not uncommon.

Seismic swarms are characterized by groups of small to moderate earthquakes that occur over a short period of time.

Scientists are still studying what causes an earthquake swarm, but they have a few theories.

One possible explanation is that the fault is slowly sliding and small sticky areas break off and generate many small earthquakes, according to the USGS.

Alternatively, magma – or molten rock – could sink into the Earth’s crust, clearing a path for itself by shattering the rock in front of it and triggering a series of earthquakes.

But more often, earthquake swarms appear to be caused by the gradual release of tectonic stresses along fault lines or by changes in subsurface conditions, according to the USGS.

Although the NMSZ produces earthquakes frequently, their generally low magnitude and low impact do not attract much attention for this seismic zone.

Instead, most earthquake preparedness in the United States has focused on California, which experts say is about 80 years late for the “Big One,” a temblor of massive land along the 800-mile-long San Andreas Fault.

This focus on California has made it harder for NMSZ experts in Missouri and other states to convince officials and the public to prepare.

But the impact of an earthquake in that region could be more widespread than what has been recorded on the West Coast, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources said.

“Due to the nature of the bedrock of the Earth’s crust in the central United States, earthquakes in this region can shake an area approximately 20 times larger than earthquakes in California,” officials wrote of the department in a blog article.