New fault line could trigger Ark. quake: scientist

New fault line could trigger Ark. quake: scientist

www.ctv.ca

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- A previously unknown fault in eastern Arkansas could trigger a magnitude 7 earthquake with an epicenter near a major natural gas pipeline, a scientist said Wednesday. Haydar Al-Shukri, the director of the Arkansas Earthquake Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said the fault is separate from the New Madrid fault responsible for a series of quakes in 1811-12 that caused the Mississippi River to flow backward.
Acres of cotton fields cover the fault west of Marianna, about 100 miles east of Little Rock, but stretches of fine sand mixed with fertile soil gave away the fault's location, Al-Shukri said. Liquefied sand bubbled up through cracks in the earth, while ground radar and digs showed vents that let the sand reach the surface, he said.
The fault, likely created in the last 5,000 years, sparked at least one magnitude 7 earthquake in its history. Such temblors cause massive destruction in their wake.

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This isn't that far away from the New Madrid fault line. According to the scientist it is potentially just as dangerous.
He goes on to say that they are too far apart to be related. But what if they ever went off simultaneously?

In my opinion the scientist in question uses alot of scary language such as "This is a very, very dangerous (area) at risk of earthquake," Al-Shukri said. "When you talk about (magnitude) 7 and plus, this is going to be a major disaster."
This kind of language isn't normally used when these guys talk as they tend to be much more conservative so as not to cause panic. What is your take on this?

I'm still looking for more information on this new discovery. If anybody out there has anything let us know.

www.ctv.ca
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 22-1-2009 by palg1]

[edit on 22-1-2009 by palg1]

Yeah. posted about this yesterday.. www.abovetopsecret.com...

It is definitely something to watch.. even though there has not been that much large activity lately.

Great post, THX! S&F

This is the kind of info that makes ATS worth while IMO. I would be surprised if it wasn’t related to New Madrid in at least some tertiary way, but it seems that they are close enough to effect one another in any case.

This bears watching IMO.

Damn, I guess I had better batton down the hatches. That isn't too far from here.

Well, far enough away that I shouldn't have MUCH to worry about. Little Rock is about 200 miles, or so, away.

And here I thought that the New Madrid was the closest thing concerning for earthquakes.

Also, they have been recording tremors in the Little Rock area for some time now recently. Maybe this is the cause of the Alarmist wording.