Missouri Rocked by Big Quakes Before 1811, Geologist Says

If you want to know what a future major quake along the New Madrid Fault in southern Missouri might look like, you need to look back in history first. A geologist has found evidence that there were huge earthquakes in the New Madrid Fault region long before the historic quakes of 1811 and 1812.

I will admit that I'm kind of late to this party. Dr. Wendy Bohon (aka Dr Wendy Rocks) is an earthquake geologist who went viral on social media with videos she shared on TikToc and YouTube detailing what she learned looking at the history of the New Madrid Fault. She discovered evidence of huge earthquakes in southern Missouri that predate the legendary 1811 and 1812 quakes.

Liquefaction happens when a major earthquake causes sand beneath the surface to sometimes explode to the surface. Researchers found sand blows not just from the 1811 and 1812 earthquakes, but also older earthquakes which reveal there is a longer history than we were aware of for seismic activity in southern Missouri.

What does this mean for future major New Madrid earthquakes?

The takeaway from this research is the 1811 and 1812 New Madrid earthquakes were not one-off unique events. The fact that southern Missouri has been shaken by a pattern of violent major earthquakes in the past means we can expect future major events. It does not mean that we can set a clock and know exactly the time frame when a major New Madrid Fault earthquake might happen, but we should prepare for the possibility since it will likely happen sooner or later.