Major New Fault Discovered in Eastern Arkansas

Scientists at the Arkansas Earthquake Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have discovered a major, previously unknown fault in Arkansas that could trigger up to a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

The new fault is near the town of Marianna in eastern Arkansas, about 100 miles east of Little Rock. It was indicated by stretches of fine sand with fertile soil, the result of liquefied sand bubbling up through underground vents. Ground radar and samples confirmed the existence of the fault, which likely formed within the past 5000 years. This fault is separate from the New Madrid Seismic Zone, an area stretching south into Arkansas from New Madrid, Missouri. This zone is a major fault line and was responsible for the widely destructive New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812, estimated to be around magnitude 8.0.

Researchers have expressed concerns over natural gas pipelines and other industrial conduits crossing this fault. This infrastructure is not required to have the more robust safety features as similar equipment in earthquake-prone southern California.

These results were presented on January 21st at a luncheon at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

Source: Yahoo!; Photo: Wikipedia