Military works on earthquake response after Midwest temblor
Woody Baird
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Campus News
Rescue crews with the Illinois National Guard, wearing yellow moon suits because of a make-believe radiological hazard, pulled pretend victims from the wreckage and carried them to nearby medical tents for decontamination and treatment.
The New Madrid fault system runs about 120 miles from northeastern Arkansas to southern Illinois. It produced a series of earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 with strengths estimated at more than 7.0 magnitude. Some 200 temblors are recorded on the fault system annually but the vast majority are too weak even to be felt.
But scientists say the New Madrid is still capable of producing big quakes. Chances for a magnitude 6.0 or larger quake, which could cause serious damage depending on where along the fault system it struck, are put at 25 percent to 40 percent over 50 years.
The most recent large New Madrid quake, estimated at magnitude 6.5, struck in 1895 near Charleston, Mo.
Last week's quake in Illinois was over the Wabash fault zone, which some scientists say may be related to the New Madrid fault system. The strongest Wabash temblor in recent history was a magnitude 5.3 quake in southern Illinois in 1968.
In the same way Friday's quake brought focus to the Tennessee exercise, organizers of an earthquake-preparedness seminar in Metropolis, Ill., planned for May said it's helping draw more attendees.
"The earthquake was good timing. We have PR in high places," said Linda Poston, a staff member for an extension office covering five southern Illinois counties. "Isn't that ironic? We couldn't believe it."
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Associated Press Writer Jim Suhr in St. Louis contributed to this report.
The New Madrid fault system runs about 120 miles from northeastern Arkansas to southern Illinois. It produced a series of earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 with strengths estimated at more than 7.0 magnitude. Some 200 temblors are recorded on the fault system annually but the vast majority are too weak even to be felt.
But scientists say the New Madrid is still capable of producing big quakes. Chances for a magnitude 6.0 or larger quake, which could cause serious damage depending on where along the fault system it struck, are put at 25 percent to 40 percent over 50 years.
The most recent large New Madrid quake, estimated at magnitude 6.5, struck in 1895 near Charleston, Mo.
Last week's quake in Illinois was over the Wabash fault zone, which some scientists say may be related to the New Madrid fault system. The strongest Wabash temblor in recent history was a magnitude 5.3 quake in southern Illinois in 1968.
In the same way Friday's quake brought focus to the Tennessee exercise, organizers of an earthquake-preparedness seminar in Metropolis, Ill., planned for May said it's helping draw more attendees.
"The earthquake was good timing. We have PR in high places," said Linda Poston, a staff member for an extension office covering five southern Illinois counties. "Isn't that ironic? We couldn't believe it."
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Associated Press Writer Jim Suhr in St. Louis contributed to this report.
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