A wave of earthquakes has hit two states as scientists fear a ‘big one’ is coming

A swarm of earthquakes struck a massive 150-foot-long fault line in the Midwest, which scientists fear is already too late for a megaquake.

This little-known New Madrid is located in the American Heartland and runs through Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois.

The US Geological Survey detected eight earthquakes between December 6 and 11.

Missouri experienced seven affecting Howardville, Matthews, Martson Hayward and Cooter, and Ridgely, Tennessee experienced one.

The largest earthquakes were magnitudes 3.0 and 2.6 near Howardville, and the rest were about magnitude 2.

Any earthquake with a magnitude of less than 2.5 is generally not felt, but the shaking can be detected by a seismograph.

Scientists have warned that the fault line could generate a magnitude of 7 or higher in the next 50 years.

The chance of an earthquake of that magnitude is about 40 percent, but “with every year that passes, the likelihood increases,” said Robbie Myers, emergency coordinator with the Missouri Department of Safety.

About seven of the earthquakes shook the region within a nine-hour span, with the magnitude 3.0 occurring at 6:27 a.m. ET.

And on December 11, the eight were discovered in Howardville.

The area has not experienced a significant earthquake for more than 200 years.

The last strong seismic activity occurred between 1811 and 1812, when three earthquakes occurred that were “estimated to be between magnitude 7 and 8,” according to the US Geological Survey.

The swarm destroyed settlements and “dramatically affected the landscape,” officials reported.

While this week’s earthquake swarm isn’t necessarily a sign that the New Madrid Fault is about to produce a larger earthquake, experts say people living around it should always be prepared for a major seismic event.

A magnitude 8 earthquake in this region could kill thousands, destroy bridges over the Mississippi River, damage major highways such as Interstate 55 and rupture oil and gas pipelines, Myers previously said to DailyMail.com.

Experts believe that the The greatest destruction would occur in St. Louis, Missouri and Memphis, Tennessee. But an event of this magnitude would cause nationwide disruption.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a damaging earthquake of magnitude 6 or greater occurs in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) about once every 80 years.

The last of that magnitude was a 6.6 event in 1895 near Charleston, Missouri – 129 years ago. This fault is therefore long overdue for a major earthquake.

“(An earthquake) in the next 50 years is a strong possibility, and people need to take precautions,” Myers said.

‘There is nothing more urgent at the moment. And with each passing year, the likelihood increases.”

At least 11 million Americans live within the danger zone, with the greatest devastation expected to occur in St. Louis and Memphis, an expert previously told DailyMail.com

The NMSZ is one of the most active seismic zones east of the Rocky Mountains. Swarms like Monday’s are therefore not uncommon.

Earthquake swarms are characterized by clusters of small to moderate earthquakes that occur over a short period of time.

Scientists are still investigating what causes an earthquake swarm, but they have some theories.

One possible explanation is that the fault is slowly slipping, releasing small sticky patches that trigger numerous small earthquakes, the USGS said.

Alternatively, magma (or molten rock) can push up into the Earth’s crust and open a path for itself by fracturing the rock in front of it and causing a series of earthquakes.

But most often, earthquake swarms appear to be caused by the gradual release of tectonic stresses along fault lines, or by changes in subsurface conditions, the USGS said.

Although the NMSZ regularly produces earthquakes, their generally small magnitude and low impact do not attract much attention to this seismic zone.

Instead, most of the U.S. earthquake preparation has focused on California, which experts say is about 80 years too late for “The Big One,” a massive earthquake along the 800-mile-long San Andreas Fault.

This focus on California has made it more difficult for experts in Missouri and other NMSZ states to convince officials and the public to be prepared.

But the impact of an earthquake in this area could be broader than what has been recorded on the West Coast, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

“Due to the nature of the rocks in the Earth’s crust in the central United States, earthquakes in this region can shake an area approximately 20 times larger than earthquakes in California,” department officials wrote in a blog post.