April 18, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - While the New Madrid Seismic Zone receives more attention, a Western Kentucky University geologist says Friday morning’s earthquake in southeastern Illinois should serve as a wake-up call that the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone remains an active area.
The magnitude 5.2 quake “pretty much rang the bell of the Midwest,” said Dr. Michael May, a professor in WKU’s Department of Geography and Geology.
Not only was the quake felt in the Bowling Green area at 4:37 a.m., but the U.S. Geological Survey (http://www.usgs.gov/) received reports as far west as Kansas, as far north as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and as far south as Georgia.
The quake is the third to exceed magnitude 5.0 in the region since 1968; a 5.3 quake occurred in 1968 with a 5.0 quake in 2002. “In the last 20 to 30 years, we’ve seen earthquakes exceed 4.0 in that area about every eight to 10 years,” Dr. May said.
The Wabash Valley Seismic Zone isn’t one fault but a series of faults along the Wabash River in southern Illinois and southern Indiana. While the quake’s epicenter was near West Salem, Ill., aftershocks may still be felt along other faults in the region, Dr. May said.
Five aftershocks between 2.2 and 2.6 were reported within hours followed by a 4.6 aftershock at 10:14 a.m., according to the USGS.
The Central United States Earthquake Consortium has made earthquake preparedness, risk assessment and mitigation a priority in the seismic zone, he said. The group’s website at http://www.cusec.org/ provides preparedness and safety information as well as historic data on earthquakes in the Wabash Valley and New Madrid zones.
“We know we’re going to have these earthquakes, but we need to assess bridges and high-risk buildings, especially hospitals and schools,” Dr. May said.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Michael May at (270) 745-6891.
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