Myrmidonisia
23-06-2005, 13:34
Worse than any of the usual finger pointing that goes on here, there are some serious faults in the U.S. Some of them right in my back yard.We could see a repeat of an 1812 earthquake, centered near Memphis, Tennessee, that was estimated at approximately 8.1 on the Richter scale.
A new study, detailed in the June 23 issue of the journal Nature, reveals a vexing characteristic of the fault that traverses the region. The ground moves more near the fault, creeping a few millimeters every year, than it does farther from it.
The study mentions a 8 to 10 percent chance of a major earthquake in the next 50 years. With quotes like these from the scientists involved, I'll give it a 50 percent chance of that happening.
"I can't explain how the movement is driven," said study team member Michael Ellis, a geologist at the University of Memphis.
That lack of understanding makes the task of pinpointing when the next quake might hit even more challenging.
A new study, detailed in the June 23 issue of the journal Nature, reveals a vexing characteristic of the fault that traverses the region. The ground moves more near the fault, creeping a few millimeters every year, than it does farther from it.
The study mentions a 8 to 10 percent chance of a major earthquake in the next 50 years. With quotes like these from the scientists involved, I'll give it a 50 percent chance of that happening.
"I can't explain how the movement is driven," said study team member Michael Ellis, a geologist at the University of Memphis.
That lack of understanding makes the task of pinpointing when the next quake might hit even more challenging.