The New Madrid Fault Line
Named for the Missouri town which first witnessed its might, the New Madrid fault line runs southward near the Mississippi River, crossing into Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Although the one-hundred and fifty mile long fault line cannot be seen on the surface of the earth, at least one of its 200 quakes each year can be felt by humans. During the period from late 1811 to early 1812, a series of over 2000 earthquakes were felt in this region. Three earthquakes estimated to be 7.5 or greater on the Richter scale occurred during this time, making it the site of the largest earthquake in the continental United States. These quakes flattened homes and thousands of acres of forests, formed new lakes, and even changed the course of the Mississippi River.