The hidden geological giant sleeping beneath America's agricultural heartland
In short: While most attention focuses on the West Coast, a massive seismic zone sits in the Midwest. This video explores the New Madrid Seismic Zone, a complex of buried faults capable of producing some of the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history.
The New Madrid Seismic Zone is a complex of buried faults located near the Mississippi River in Missouri. It is responsible for a historic earthquake so powerful it was felt over a thousand miles away in Boston, cracked sidewalks in Charleston, and moved the floor of the White House in Washington D.C. One of its most notable effects was causing the Mississippi River to flow backwards.
Despite its location in a region often perceived as geologically stable, the United States Geological Survey estimates a 25 to 40 percent probability of a magnitude six earthquake occurring on this fault within the next 50 years. The zone sits beneath millions of people who may have never experienced an earthquake before.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Why New Madrid Is America's Most Dangerous Fault | 4K Documentary
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