By Shelly Baskin
Murray, KY – A magnitude 2 earthquake occurred just south of New Madrid, Missouri Tuesday morning, but unless you're a researcher, you probably didn't notice. That's because the earthquakes which occur often are about five times smaller than the ones people normally feel. Scientists at the Center for Earthquake Research and Information record an average of 200 earthquakes at the New Madrid Fault Line each year. They say only about 5 of those earthquakes are large enough to feel even by those closest to the epicenter. Director of Education at CERI Gary Patterson says,
"These earthquakes in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, the small ones, if you accurately locate them in three dimensions then you kind of get an idea of the size and the surface area of the faults because those earthquakes are happening over most of the fault, we think, and the orientation, where does it break the surface."
Patterson says mapping the fault has allowed researchers to estimate the largest potential earthquake the New Madrid could produce. He says that information has made its way into new building codes in the surrounding states. Despite the pattern of seismic activity in the New Madrid area, Patterson says a large earthquake in the near future isn't very likely.