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Old 07-26-2007, 03:03 PM
 
Location: Deep In The Heat Of Texas
2,639 posts, read 3,199,413 times
Reputation: 700

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The links are about the New Madrid fault.

Our own 'Katrina' catastrophe is lying in wait

Discovery Channel :: News - History :: In-Depth: Quakes Threaten Eastern U.S.

Also, I found this on the web:

What is the most earthquake-prone State in the United States?

Alaska is the most earthquake-prone State and one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Alaska experiences a magnitude 7 earthquake almost every year, and a magnitude 8 or greater earthquake on average every 14 years.

At what rate is the San Andreas fault moving in California?

The San Andreas fault is slipping at a rate of approximately 2 inches per year causing Los Angeles to move towards San Francisco. Scientists project that Los Angeles will be a suburb of San Francisco in approximately 15million years.

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Old 07-26-2007, 03:47 PM
 
Location: MO Ozarkian in NE Hoosierana
4,682 posts, read 12,016,115 times
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Being from MO, minored in geology, working in mines, and being a caver, I've much interest in this very stuff... As to the New Madrid fault, helped on a GPR [ground penetrating radar] study years back, over a few hot, steamy, humid August days in some fields - dragging cables and gear and such, back and forth multiple times; nice bars in Memphis to help cool us off during the night, and,,, but, uhemm,,, I digress,,,

Anyhow, what is happening there, what has happened, what may happen, and when, that is still much debated. Some studies claim the earth is gonna rattle and roll, causing much damage to multi-states; other studies say that the risk is way overblown, that IF anything does happen, be minor happening, as the rocks down there are getting older/colder... Also, recall a study that came out not too long ago that put forth the theory that a slab of an ancient plate that is going into the mantle under the CA coastal area is kinda curling back, under the mid-continent, its heat and mass creating a warm spot, stresses, etc there, which then caused the shaking and rattling of bells in Boston in 1811-12.

Cool thing about geology, as it is more a pure science [altho' driven by data] than an engineering discipline, is that there is all this fun room for debate and conjecture and disagreement, along with unknown and known unknowns.

As to risks and quakes, check out the info here: National & Regional Seismic Hazard Maps
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Old 07-26-2007, 05:15 PM
 
Location: 602/520
2,441 posts, read 6,981,764 times
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Default Las Vegas more in danger than San Diego

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rmaf623 View Post
Are San Diego & Las Vegas at risk of a major earthquake?
As far as I am aware, San Diego is not at high risk for a major earthquake. The San Andreas Fault does not enter San Diego County at any point, but in Imperial County, well to the east of the city. The last major earthquake in the county was a magnitude 5.3 north of Oceanside, way back in 1986.

Las Vegas is at a very high risk for earthquakes. A recent study showed that there are eight faults traversing the Las Vegas Valley capable of producing anywhere from a magnitude 5.5 to a magnitude 7.0 earthquake
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Old 07-26-2007, 06:02 PM
 
Location: yeah
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I know people like to act knowledgeable and talk about "San Andreas this and that," but the Hayward Fault is the one most likely to destroy the Bay Area soon.
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Old 07-26-2007, 10:10 PM
 
Location: St. Louis, MO
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fleet View Post
The San Andreas fault is about 50 miles from downtown Los Angeles (at its closest). There is a fault under downtown L.A., but it is the type that ruptures only every few thousand years.



Yes, I've read that, too. There were three separate quakes.
Dec. 16, 1811... 8.1
Jan. 23, 1812... 7.8
Feb. 7, 1812... 8.0

Those are the estimated magnitudes.

-Fleet
(Seismology enthusiast)

THREE SEPARATE QUAKES OF 8.0 MAGNITUDE...GOD THAT IS A SCARY THOUGHT TO IMAGINE. Three 8.0 earthquakes each within a month of the previous one would be more than enough to completely obliterate St. Louis and Memphis....think of all the casualties...they could number in the millions. Also, it has been a few thousand years I believe since the last time the fault under downtown L.A. ruptured. If that fault ruptured, it would make people beg for a San Andreas earthquake. Downtown L.A. could possibly be obliterated from such a rupture...it would be as big as New Madrid I would imagine.
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Old 09-08-2007, 03:00 PM
 
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I believe that the cities that are at most risk for an earthquake from most to least are. Salt Lake City 200 years over due 7.5, none since 1400 activates one every 400 years. Los Angeles/Southern California 7.7-8.0, 60 years over due, none since 1690 activates one every 250 years. Seattle 100 years over due 7.4, occurs one every 1,000 years, none since 900 AD. St. Louis and Memphis once every 300 years 7.4-8.1, none since 1811-1812. So I would probably say that San Francisco is not at the most risk, but that we should probably start worrying about Salt Lake City the most
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Old 09-08-2007, 04:15 PM
 
Location: the midwest
492 posts, read 2,363,331 times
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After reading this thread, I realized that I am grossly uninformed on the subject of earthquakes. We had a slight one a few years ago when I lived in Western PA, but it only dried up some of the wells in the area. When a big one strikes in the US, does it affect mostly affect cities/high density areas? Are people in, lets say, single family homes generally ok?
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Old 09-08-2007, 04:40 PM
NCN
 
Location: NC/SC Border Patrol
21,661 posts, read 25,504,682 times
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Latest Earthquakes - Last 7 Days

This website is my new discovery since I retired. I visit it every day. My husband really teases me about it. Interesting website. Southern California is just about covered in earthquakes every day. Nevada and Utah have a lot, but Alaska really has the largest earthquakes, so my guess would be that Fairbanks or other cities in Alaska would probably be the next big one.
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Old 09-08-2007, 08:07 PM
 
Location: Wellsburg, WV
3,252 posts, read 9,152,732 times
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While I was in boarding school in Asheville, NC during the years 1969-1971 (and I don't remember exactly which year) there was an earthquake one night that was strong enough to rattle the furniture. Since I have been out in CA and know I can't feel those in the below 3.0 range, it had to be above that. I suspect this one was it.
NC Earthquakes
Quote:
On December 13, 1969, a minor earthquake with a noise like a sonic boom awakened many at Glenville (intensity V). At Pickens, South Carolina, windows, doors, and dishes rattled slightly and many in the community were awakened. Moderate rumbling earth noises were heard. The shook affected an area of about 9,000 square kilometers in the two States.
South Carolina Seismic Network

The east coast has far more than you realize. They just aren't as BIG! http://scsn.seis.sc.edu/images/bigeast.gif (broken link)

Liz
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Old 09-08-2007, 08:53 PM
 
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Cities like Saint Louis and Memphis are at risk for being truly catastrophic. (lots of brick and timber buildings, not particulary prepared). An earthquake in San Francisco, Seattle or Los Angeles is pretty well prepared for.
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