Seismic surveys assess earthquake hazard in the New Madrid area

Identification of active faults and understanding their potential hazard to the population within the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ) is a major goal of the US National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (Nehrp). With primary funding provided by Nehrp, the NMSZ (Figure 1) located near the large population centers of Memphis and Saint Louis is targeted for earthquake hazards studies because of (1) its relatively high rate of earthquake activity (it is considered the highest seismic hazard zone in the US east of the Rocky Mountains) and (2) the occurrence of three major earthquakes (magnitude estimates 6.9-8.3) and thousands of accompanying aftershocks in this region in the years 1811-12.