By Jacque Day
New Madrid Seismic Zone – New research from the U.S. Geological Survey casts doubt on the long-held idea that the New Madrid fault zone unleashed a series of devastating earthquakes in 1811 and 1812. The new study suggests the culprit may have instead been the Wabash Valley Fault line that runs through southern Illinois. Scientists say there hasn't been a magnitude 6.0 earthquake on the New Madrid Fault in more than a century. But in the last 20 years, there have been at least three magnitude 5.0 or greater tremors along the Wabash Valley Fault, including the 2008 quake felt in this region. The Evansville Courier & Press reports that a thorough study of the Wabash Valley Fault system is planned within two years.