"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Caveat Lector wrote:

Twas a 4.1 magnitude earthquake 45 miles NNW of Memphis, Tennessee and
20 miles WSW of Blytheville, Arkansas

see URL:
http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/neic_uian.html

Yep and it was of course in the New Madrid fault area. We're still waiting
for
the big one!, which may come one of these days. There was a 7+ in that
area in
the early 1800's.

Actually, there were three major quakes an many aftershocks, and they were
in the 8 range.

Among them are three earthquakes that occurred in 1811 and 1812 near New
Madrid, MO. They are among the Great earthquakes of known history, affecting
the topography more than any other earthquake on the North American
continent. Judging from their effects, they were of a magnitude of 8.0 or
higher on the Richter Scale. They were felt over the entire United States
outside of the Pacific coast. Large areas sank into the earth, new lakes
were formed, the course of the Mississippi River was changed, and forests
were destroyed over an area of 150,000 acres. Many houses at New Madrid were
thrown down. "Houses, gardens, and fields were swallowed up" one source
notes. But fatalities and damage were low, because the area was sparsely
settled then.