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Permalink Reply by Mac Davis on February 18, 2011 at 10:42

Amazingly enough, CNN has a good article.

 

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-13/us/arkansas.earthquakes_1_earthq...

 

It mentions that there was a similar swarm 15 miles away in 1982, that caused 15,000 quakes in a year.

 

The abovetopsecret article above makes a point about earthquakes being "up to 4" on the Richter scale.  4 is about the level at which things start to shake and rattle, but little damage usually occurs.

 

Maybe this will "shake someone up" about earthquakes in middle America.  If another quake like the New Madrid quakes of 1811 strikes the same area, it will be the biggest natural disaster the US has ever had.

 

There's some speculation it may be fluid disposal wells, not fracking that is causing the problems.

 

Lots of good maps on the USGS earthquake site. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/

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Permalink Reply by essay on February 18, 2011 at 11:11

New Madrid, also known as the day the Mississippi River flowed backwards in its channel.

 

Mac is right if a similar earthquake happened today it would make Hurricane Katrina look like one of Aunt Bea's garden parties.

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Permalink Reply by DJG on February 20, 2011 at 10:30

"The abovetopsecret article above makes a point about earthquakes being "up to 4" on the Richter scale.  4 is about the level at which things start to shake and rattle, but little damage usually occurs."

 

 

I wouldn't even get out of bed for any earthquake under 6.0 on the Richter scale.

 

Then again, I grew up in Los Angeles before moving to Texas.

 

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Permalink Reply by Mac Davis on February 20, 2011 at 16:03

I knew a guy who grew up in the New York area.  When the 1985 4 point earthquake struck, the noise woke him up and he said "What the heck is that?"  His California born wife mumbled groggily "It's just an earthquake, go back to sleep."

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Permalink Reply by Bill R on February 20, 2011 at 11:59

The fluid disposal wells are what we heard on the news here in Oregon as the possible cause... the effects of Fracking were again brought up as damaging the aquifers in the areas they're being done in! I figure our local 'Tree huggers' will jump on board and impose regulations banning any chance of horizontal wells with Fracking going on here.

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Permalink Reply by P.G. on February 20, 2011 at 15:50

What do geologist say about relieving pressure on formations over a vast area down in the earth?

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