Is the New Madrid Fault Next?

Everyone keeps talking about California having the big one with all of these quakes lately but what about the sleeping giant here in southern Illinois. Could all of this earthquake activity spurn the release of the New Madrid Fault line? Just curious to see people's thoughts and if we're ignoring the obvious?

The 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes /nuː ˈmædrɨd/ were an intense intraplate earthquake series beginning with an initial pair of very large earthquakes on December 16, 1811. These earthquakes remain the most powerful earthquakes to hit the eastern United States in recorded history.[1] These events, as well as the seismic zone of their occurrence, were named for the Mississippi River town of New Madrid, then part of the Louisiana Territory, now within Missouri.

New Madrid Earthquake

I've been keeping ,y eye on this fault as it would affect me too, but I'll rumble and tumble and party lol

Living in Southern Illinois I am always on the look out. I remember a few years back this professor was on TV every day talking about the New Madrid fault. He was certain that it was ready to go at any time.
Just the other day I was reading some articles about the "sand blows", and how the Mississippi ran backwards. Must have been a mighty powerful quake..

Yah it was pretty crazy. I remember when we lived in Indiana and felt a quake a few years back.

There was a 5.1 on the New Madrid fault back in 1980. I was just a kid at the time, but I still remember it well!!

Then there was a 5.4 in April of 2008 close to the same area. It's getting more active all the time.

unusualkentucky.blogspot.com...

Originally posted by VeniVidi
Living in Southern Illinois I am always on the look out. I remember a few years back this professor was on TV every day talking about the New Madrid fault. He was certain that it was ready to go at any time.
Just the other day I was reading some articles about the "sand blows", and how the Mississippi ran backwards. Must have been a mighty powerful quake..

let's not forget about Reelfoot lake was formed from this earthquake....big lake...

reply to post by thepolish1


Totally forgot about that. Good point.

reply to post by thepolish1


Ok, let me clarify, Reelfoot Lake was formed from the 1800's earthquake. I have relatives wo live right by the fault in Tennessee. I went to school there for a year, we have tornado drills in Indiana, they have Earthquake drills. Never experienced one while I was down there though. Remember both of them in Indiana, was playing baseball, so didn't feel the one in the 80's, but the one in 2008, I was half asleep yelling at our female mastiff to quit scratching, as she slept right next to the bed, I got up to make coffee, and it dawned on me she was still sleeping. turned on the news, and there was an earthquake. I apologized to the dog of course....lol