Thursday, December 16, 2010

199 years ago today

On this dreary day its good time  to remember that 199 years ago today the first of the New Madrid earthquake occurred near Little Prairie, Missouri.  The first shock was felt across a broad reach of the eastern United States and caused much alarm and wonder.  Over the next year we will look at aspects of the quakes as a lead in the the Bicentennial of the earthquakes in 2011.

Monday, November 1, 2010

New Madrid Related Museums




With the Bicentennial of the New Madrid earthquakes drawing close, I’ve been involved with visiting some local museums that have displays on the earthquakes.  One is located at Reelfoot Lake and the other at New Madrid Missouri.  Both are well run and visitor friendly places where you can learn about the earthquakes and other local history specific to both locations.  
The Reelfoot Museum is located at Reelfoot Lake State Park near Tiptonville Tennessee
The New Madrid Museum is located at New Madrid, Missouri and is located on the banks of the Mississippi river by the levee.  Its location is at the western edge of old New Madrid that washed into the river years ago.
  
A few weeks ago I was privileged to visit both of them for work on the New Madrid bicentennial and get reacquainted with them. When you have a chance during the Bicentennial visit both of them.

Friday, July 16, 2010

The Earthquake In Washington.


Early this morning a local earthquake was felt at Washington, D. C.  The effect was to startle people and to shake buildings and objects.  During the New Madrid earthquakes. Washington experienced them even at a great distance.  Here are a couple of examples. 
James Madison, President of the United States described in a letter to fellow Virginian Thomas Jefferson, the effect of the February 7, 1812 earthquake and the ones preceding it.
"The re-iteration of earthquakes continues the uproar from certain  
quarters.  They have slightly reached the state of N. Y. and have been  
severely felt W. & S. Westerly.  There was one here this  morning at 5  
or 6 minutes after 4 H. It was rather stronger that here than any  
preceding one, & lasted  several minutes, with sensible though very  
slight repetitions throughout the succeeding hour."
(note: verbatim transcript with no corrections)

This was at the end of the letter to Jefferson.  The letter is contained in Image  
892 and 893, James Madison Papers, James Madison to Thomas Jefferson,  
February 7, 1812. At the Library of Congress website.

A local newspaper reported that
"And suddenly there was a great EARTHQUAKE, so that the foundations, &c. were shaken."--Yesterday morning about four o'clock, another smart shock of an Earthquake was felt in this city. Several persons of whom we have heard, were awaked from their sleep and much alarmed by it; in one instance a part of the ceiling of a room was shaken down by it. From the hour at which it occurred, it was not felt by many, and its duration, &c. differently described.”

(Washington, Intelligencer, February 7, 1812, Page 2, Col. 1. New Madrid Database Item, 18120208_nmad_26_978.)

Friday, July 2, 2010

Ben Franklin, The 4th of July and Earthquakes


Ben Franklin and Earthquakes
In honor of the 4th of July I thought I would bring you a felt report of an earthquake done by one of the Founding Father, Ben Franklin.  Franklin was the leading early American scientist with a worldwide reputation.  His experimentation with electricity and his thirst for knowledge and technology were to serve as an inspiration to generations of Americans interested in the sciences.  He served as a newspaper publisher, producer of Poor Richard’s Almanac and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  He also had a prominent role as a diplomat for the United States as it was forging its independence.  So here is his report of an earthquake felt at Philadelphia on December 7, 1735:

“The Earthquake which supriz’d us here on Wednesday Night of the 7th Inst. was not felt at Annapolis in Maryland, but the Accounts we have from New-Castle on the Delaware, represent the Shake to be nearly as violent as here.  We have not as yet heard of it from any Place farther to the Southward than New-Castle.  But it was felt at Conestogoe near 100 Miles Westward of this City…..”(Extract from the Pennsylvania Gazette, Papers of Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 2. P. 190.)

Note that spelling and capitalization of words was not standard at the time and so the passage seems chaotic in both items. 
From all at CERI have a happy 4th of July! 

Thursday, June 24, 2010

That Canadian Earthquake

Yesterday we had another reminder that earthquakes can occur in the Eastern United States. A magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurred In Canada in the Province of Quebec. The location was 55 kilometers north of Ontario Canada. The interesting thing was the distance at which the earthquake was felt. The USGS Did You Feel It system received reports all over the Northeastern United States and as far west as Missouri and there were even a couple of reports in the Memphis area. The quake illustrates well how earthquakes in the Eastern United States can be felt for vast distances. In 1811-1812 the earthquakes were felt from Florida to Canada and all along the east coast of the United States and as far west (from one report) as Western Missouri.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Some New Links

I've added some new links to the blog. The first one is from the USGS and is devoted to today in Earthquake History. It is a look at earthquakes of the past and their importance. Another link for a Seismological blog from Berkley Seismological Laboratory is from the west coast and looks at earthquakes from that perspective. And finally a couple of twitter feeds for current seismicity. Read and enjoy!

A Lull in Writing

Apologies for not writing in recent times as I have been detained by other more pressing tasks at work. Hopefully the pace will pick up now that I have more time to devote to the blog. More sites will be added to for your reference also.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Thomas Jefferson's Birthday


Today is Thomas Jefferson’s birthday and a good way to introduce him in New Madrid history.  Jefferson was one of the early scientific pioneers in the United States and did much to develop research in the natural sciences in the new nation.  He appointed government officials who had a scientific background and asked them to report on the natural resources the country.   After the Louisiana Purchase he pursued a program of exploration with the goals of finding out more about the vast territory that the nation had acquired.  Several of the eyewitnesses to the New Madrid earthquakes such as Dr. John Robinson and Henry Marie Brackenridge had been acquainted with him in their work for the United States government in that exploration effort.  Robinson had served on the Lewis and Clark expedition as a medical officer.  Brackenridge had written a detailed description of the Louisiana Territory and had traveled extensively in the area.(As a note the blog editor shares the same birthday.)

Friday, April 2, 2010

South American Earthquakes


Earthquakes in South America

The people of the New Madrid time period were aware that earthquakes occurred  in other areas of North and South America.  While the New Madrid earthquakes were happening newspapers published accounts of other earthquakes to give people a sense of what was going on.  Although news was sparse there was some information from South  America.  From Peru came sporadic accounts of historic earthquakes.  Here is an example:

1797. 
On the 4th of February, Peru, in South America, lost five towns by the shock of a neighboring mountain which was thrown to pieces, several other towns and villages were thrown down and upwards of 16,000 of the inhabitants destroyed.”

New Madrid Compendium Item 290,”Destruction by Earthquake”  Louisiana Gazette, 2/13/1812, Page 3, Column 2.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The Ides of March

In the ancient Roman calendar the 15th of the month was known as the Ides for a festive day dedicated to the god Mars.  It was also the day on which Julius Caesar was assassinated plunging the Roman Republic into a civil war that resulted in the creation of the Roman Empire.  As historic seismology is at times noting events on a calendar, it is important to note that the calendar and its days and years has evolved over time.  A researcher must note the calendar system in which a historic account is recorded and reconcile it with the modern calendar to make sure the date the earthquake is accurate.  If this is not done contemporary accounts that use differing calendars can seem to note different earthquakes  when really they are  all recording the same event.  More will be said about this in later entries.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

March 2 Earthquake at East Prairie Missouri



On March 2, we had a small reminder from the New Madrid seismic zone that it is still active.  Near a town in Southeast Missouri called East Prairie an earthquake with the maginitude of 3.7 occurred that was felt in the immediate region. For more information click on this link: Info for Eq nm1937
Here you will find information on the quake and what we at CERI know about it.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Some Modern Earthquakes

While this blog covers the New Madrid historic quakes, sometimes modern events intrude.  The earthquake in Chile on Saturday  and the 3.7 magnitude earthquake in Southeast Missouri of yesterday come to mind.  I'm looking for an account of a historic Chilean earthquake to post and details of the Missouri quake to add also.  More to come.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Site Maintenance

At time to time you might notice that items have been added or subtracted from the site.  This is done periodically to refresh the information on the site and to try and make it relevant.  Read and enjoy!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Snowy Days

With the current snowy conditions that prevail here it might be nice to look back to 1811-1812 and see what kind of weather they were having.  Weather then was more dominant in determining when one traveled or did outdoor activities.  Modern technology has made it easier to master the elements than was possible in the past.  Here is one account of snow in 1811 at St. Francisville, Louisiana….
The Time Piece of Jan. 14, printed at St. Francisville, says, that they have been visited by the heaviest fall of snow ever witnessed in that country-it having measured 18 inches deep. It was the first opportunity for sleighing ever offered to the people in that part of West Florida. The oldest inhabitants are of the opinion, that all the snow which has fallen since the settlement of the country, is not equal to what fell a few hours in one day.”(New Madrid Compendium Item 18120331 3-200)  Lexington, Kentucky, American Statesman, 03/31/1812.

Here is another snow account from an area more accustomed to it.
“The snow storms in Dec. spread destruction and ruin along the whole coast of North America. At Halifax, and below Quebeck and the harbour, 20 vessels are sold to have been either wrecked, stranded or damaged, attended with the loss of many lives. Indeed, in some cases the crews, nearly to a man, are stated to have perished. The snow in the northern states was very deep, accompanied with an unusual degree of cold. The water of the Delaware, East and North rivers was congested, and the river craft suffered prodigiously from the ice. Some persons lost their lives by the mere agency of cold, and others by losing their way in the snow.(New Madrid Compendium Item 18120324 1-201) Lexington, Kentucky, American Statesman, 03/24/1812.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

An Early Caribbean Earthquake

When this blog was started the stated goal was to inform the public about the history of the New Madrid earthquakes.  However sometimes other events preclude that  stated goal such as the earthquake that occurred in Haiti on January 12, 2010.  During the New Madrid time period a similar earthquake occurred at Caracas, Venezuela on March 26, 1812 with destruction and chaos similar to what is now occurring there.  News of the quake was not received in the United States until American merchant ships which had been in the vicinity of the quake returned with stories of death and destruction.  This is one of them.
“By captain Betts, arrived yesterday from Laguira, we learn, that on the 26th of March, at 4 o'clock P. M. there was a very severe shock of an earthquake, which destroyed nearly the whole of Caraccas, and all the town of Laguira, with all the neighbouring villages. About 10,000 people were buried in the ruins; 2500 in Laguira; 1 American alone perished, a Mr. Comwell, of N. York.-Four shocks were heard and felt on the night following, not heavy enough to do any damage. On the 27th all the people that were living were employed in digging the dead from the ruins, putting them in large lighters, carrying them outside the shipping and burying them in the sea. On the 28th, the sea was so rough as to prevent them taking the dead off--they then built a large fire near the wharf, and commenced burning them, and burnt about 40 at a time in one fire.
On the 29th, the stench had become so bad, they quit digging any more dead from under the ruins. All the inhabitants that were living, pitched their tents on the plains of Magitere. On the 4th of April, there was a very heavy shock that made the vessels tremble as if they had been on a reef of rocks in a heavy sea, and from on board the Independence we could see the mountains move like a ship in a heavy sea, and large pieces rolling off them. At half past five the Independence sailed, so that we could not ascertain what damage had been done.”
Article form the New Madrid Compendium Far Field reports.  Item number 18120424 NMAD2