“Not dead yet.”
That was phrase used by U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough in a study published in the journal Science saying the major fault in the middle of the United States is still open to a major earthquake.
The New Madrid Fault Zone covers parts of seven states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.
The study was in response to studies claiming the fault was dying down and that any seismic actions were aftershocks or results of the major 1811-1812 earthquakes that devastated the central Mississippi River valley. The fault is considered to be less understood than other major faults because unlike those faults, it is located in the middle of a continent away from plate edges.
Hough and a USGS geophysicist analyzed past quakes in the New Madrid region and through computer modeling determined they are not related to the big quakes 200 years ago.
The USGS estimates a 7 to 10 percent chance of a 7.0 or greater earthquake in the region within the next 50 years.
A major earthquake struck New Zealand’s north island on Monday shaking buildings and putting tens of thousands without power.
The 6.2 magnitude earthquake was centered about 70 miles northwest of Wellington, the nation’s capital, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS reported the quake was located about 17 miles deep. A series of weaker aftershocks continued through the afternoon and evening.
While there were no immediate reports of casualties, electricity was cut off for thousands throughout the region. All trains on the rail network were stopped for railway inspectors to investigate for cracks on the tracks.
The quake was strong enough to bring down a giant eagle statue hanging from the ceiling of Wellington’s international airport. No one was hurt by the falling sculpture although commuters had to scatter. Airport authorities are investigating how the sculpture could have fallen.
New Zealand is on the southwestern edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Residents of Puerto Rico had a rude awakening in the middle of the night when a strong earthquake struck just off the coastline.
The 6.4 magnitude quake struck just after midnight local time about 35 miles north of city of Hatillo. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered 17 miles deep.
The quake did not result in a tsunami.
Witnesses during the quake viewed buildings swaying as far away as the capital city of San Juan, 61 miles from the epicenter. Emergency services reported multiple calls of slight to moderate building damage and objects being thrown off walls and shelves.
The quake was the most significant to strike the area since a 5.4 magnitude quake in March 2011.
An earthquake struck off the coast of Cuba on Thursday, shaking buildings both in that nation and in the Florida straits.
The quake struck just before 4 p.m. local time about 100 miles east of Havana. The U.S. Geological Survey said that the closest city to the epicenter was Corralillo.
The quake was so strongly felt in Old Havana that buildings had to be temporarily evacuated because of the shaking. The quake reportedly shook buildings for over 30 seconds.
“Everything was moving,” NuriaOquendo told Fox. “You could really feel it, very clear, very defined.”
The USGS said that the quake was only six miles deep and not strong enough to develop tsunami.
A 4.9 magnitude earthquake rocked Southern Italy Sunday night.
Thousands of residents of Naples and surrounding villages rushed into the street as the quake struck around 6:08 p.m. local time.
Naples Mayor Luigi de Magistris said there were no reports of serious damage or injuries in the city. Towns closer to the epicenter, 35 miles northeast of Naples, reported damaged buildings but no serious injuries.
Italian news agencies said the quake could be felt all through the nation’s “bootheel” at the south tip.
Residents of Naples were reportedly so shaken up by the quake and the threat of aftershocks that they slept in their cars rather than going back inside their homes. Many buildings in the smaller towns are not constructed to withstand heavy quakes.
Officials announced on Friday that the recent earthquake swarms and sudden change in height suggest a new eruption is brewing offshore El Hierro in the Canary Islands.
Following the announcement, the volcanic island was struck by a magnitude 5.1 earthquake at 12:46 p.m. ET according to the National Geographic Institute. The quake was felt throughout the Canary Islands.
Before the quake early Friday afternoon, parts of El Hierro had swelled nearly 3 inches in the past week and more than 550 earthquakes rattled the opposite side of the island between Monday and Wednesday. According to the Volcanological Institute of the Canaries (Involcan), the earthquakes are caused by underground magma fracturing rocks and swelling the surface as the hot rock reaches upward.
In 2011, El Hierro was the site of an underwater volcanic eruption that forced residents to evacuate.
A 4.5 magnitude earthquake shook Central Oklahoma on Saturday.
The quake came just weeks after the two-year anniversary of the strongest quake ever recorded in Oklahoma. The quake was followed by two smaller aftershocks later in the day.
Residents say that the quakes are starting to become commonplace in the state after increasing in intensity over the last few years. A restaurant owner said that when the quake struck Saturday afternoon everyone in the restaurant stopped what they were doing but immediately went back to watching a football game on TV after the quake ended.
The quake struck during the nationally televised Oklahoma State-Oklahoma football game in the middle of a field goal attempt.
The quake centered near Arcadia, Oklahoma, about 14 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. The quake was about five miles deep according to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 7.0 earthquake has struck off the coast of the Falkland Islands.
The quake struck around 2:30 a.m. local time about 195 miles southeast of the Falklands’ capital city Stanley. The depth of the quake was 6.2 miles.
The USGS reported at least four other quakes had preceded the 7.0 quake all measuring more than 5.0 during a two hour period.
Researchers are concerned because the region of the quake is not known for strong seismic activity. Only 15 quakes total over 5.0 magnitude have been recorded in the region during the last 40 years including the 5 today.
The largest quake near to that area was a 6.6 magnitude quake in September 1993.
All the shaking going on at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio wasn’t just from students partying on Wednesday.
A 3.5 magnitude earthquake was confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey as striking just before 1 p.m. local time. The earthquake’s epicenter was almost 5 miles deep and centered 2 ½ miles east-southeast of Nelsonville, Ohio.
The USGS said the quake was felt mainly in southern Ohio and into parts of West Virginia.
The quake was the strongest to hit Ohio since a magnitude 4.0 quake struck Youngstown on December 31, 2011. It was the strongest quake to hit Athens County since a 3.8 quake in 1886.
The USGS says a 3.5 magnitude quake can be felt inside homes.
“At first, I thought a car hit the house. I thought the thing was going to come down. It was one big jolt,” resident Carl Corvin told the Columbus Dispatch.
Students at Ohio University tried to take advantage of the quake by asking the vice president of student affairs on the social network twitter if the quake meant classes were released for the day.
“This is funny. Really. But no. Good try though :),” VP Ryan Lombardi replied.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck just off the coast of Chile Thursday.
The quake was centered 35 miles southwest of Coquimbo at depth of 6.6 miles according to USGS estimates.
The quake caused buildings to sway in the capital city of Santiago although no major damage has been reported. The off-shore quake was not expected to cause a widespread tsunami according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center but that local tsunamis are possible within approximately 60 miles of the epicenter.
Chile is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
