Do you think there is a chance that a earthquake could hit the New Madrid Fault Line soon? I'm no geologist but it seems like something is getting ready to happen in that area with the dead birds now the flooding.
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surface conditions such as rain and temperature do not affect earthquakes 10's to 100's of kilometers below the surface.
However, tidal forces from the Sun and Moon can. Changes in rotational patterns. Other earthquakes. Anything that would change the stresses and forces.
There is always a possibility for an old fault line to become active again, and to generate new fault lines.
One would need to study the movement and stress patterns in the area to give a more accurate answer
Also, there is a relationship between the type and size of fault and its strength
Japan and Alaska have convergent plates and subduction causing potentially large quakes
The Dead Sea and East Africa are on Divergent plate boundaries causing potentially small quakes
The San Andreas is on a Translational plate boundary - sideways motion. -> medium sized quakes
New Madrid is in the middle of the North American plate in a non-active to divergent plate boundary scenario. Quakes here would not be very strong or very often compared to Japan, alaska or California
However, tidal forces from the Sun and Moon can. Changes in rotational patterns. Other earthquakes. Anything that would change the stresses and forces.
There is always a possibility for an old fault line to become active again, and to generate new fault lines.
One would need to study the movement and stress patterns in the area to give a more accurate answer
Also, there is a relationship between the type and size of fault and its strength
Japan and Alaska have convergent plates and subduction causing potentially large quakes
The Dead Sea and East Africa are on Divergent plate boundaries causing potentially small quakes
The San Andreas is on a Translational plate boundary - sideways motion. -> medium sized quakes
New Madrid is in the middle of the North American plate in a non-active to divergent plate boundary scenario. Quakes here would not be very strong or very often compared to Japan, alaska or California
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Geologists estimate there is a 25% chance of an earthquake with a magnitude 7.5 or greater occurring along the New Madrid fault line by the year 2040.
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Earthquakes happen in that area all the time.