Earthquake Today

A weak earthquake rattled northern Arkansas early this morning. According to USGS, a magnitude 2.2 earthquake struck 2.5 miles southeast of Franklin,...

Scientists say the distance between the New Madrid-area earthquakes and those of Elgin, South Carolina are too far apart to be related. Either way, with the population of New Madrid Seismic Zone huge compared to the sparsely populated area of the early 1800s, and tens of millions more living in an area that would experience significant ground shaking, there could be a very significant loss of life and property when another major quake strikes here again in the future. Scientists speculate this “earthquake smog” was caused by dust particles rising up from the surface, combining with the eruption of warm water molecules into the cold winter air. During the strong quakes, the skies turned so dark that residents claimed lit lamps didn’t help illuminate the area; they also said the air smelled bad and was hard to breathe. Ground movements were so violent near the epicenter that liquefaction of the ground was observed, with dirt and water thrown into the air by tens of feet. Scientists believe this phenomena was “seismoluminescence”; this light is generated when quartz crystals in the ground are squeezed. Water thrown up into the air from the ground, or the nearby Mississippi River, was also unusually warm. Other scientists believe as the quartz crystals were squeezed, the light they emit also helped warm the water. The epicenter of the quake had a depth of 3.3 km. One person used the “Did you feel it?” tool on the USGS website to report they felt the shaking from today’s earthquake. Beyond shaking, the quakes also were responsible for triggering unusual natural phenomena in the area: earthquake lights, seismically heated water, and earthquake smog. While today’s earthquake was inconsequential, authorities are concerned that people aren’t properly prepared for when a big earthquake will strike this region.