Catalog of significant historical earthquakes in the Central United States

Abstract

We use Modified Mercalli intensity assignments to estimate source locations and moment magnitude M for eighteen 19 th -century and twenty early-20 th -century earthquakes in the central United States (CUS) for which estimates of M are otherwise not available. We use these estimates, and locations and M estimated elsewhere, to compile a catelog of significant historical earthquakes in the CUS. The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes apparently dominated CUS seismicity in the first two decades of the 19th century. M5-6 earthquakes occurred in the New Madrid Seismic Zone in 1843 and 1878, but none have occurred since 1878. There has been persistent seismic activity in the Illinois Basin in southern Illinois and Indiana, with M > 5.0

Spatial Variability of "Did You Feel It?" Intensity Data: Insights into Sampling Biases in Historical Earthquake Intensity Distributions

“…Constraining the location to the conventionally accepted latitude/longitude (35.9°N, −89:5°W) increases the magnitude by less than 0.1 unit. The difference between this magnitude value and the M I values estimated by Bakun et al (2003) and Bakun and Hopper (2004b) One key issue remains unaddressed, namely the intensity assignments for the twentieth century calibration events by earlier studies used to develop the intensity prediction relations. If these assignments were consistent with the practice used to assign the earlier published intensities for the Marked Tree earthquake, revising the latter but not the former would result in a biased (low) magnitude value.…”

“…This event, which has not received significant attention in the recent literature, is analyzed by Nuttli (1974), who estimates an m b of 5.4. It is included in the catalog compiled by Bakun and Hopper (2004b), who estimate a preferred M I of 4.5. The preferred magnitude in the CEUS-SSC catalog is 5.1.…”

Historical Seismic Activity in the Central United States

“…While earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ) apparently dominated CUS seismicity in the first two decades of the 19th century, more moment magnitude M 5.0 and larger earthquakes have occurred in the Illinois basin in southern Illinois and Indiana in the past 150 years than in the NMSZ (Bakun and Hopper, 2004a). Paleoseismic studies (e.g., Munson et al, 1997) have shown, moreover, that large Holocene earthquakes have occurred in the Illinois basin where 5.0 _ M <_ 6.0 historical earthquakes have occurred.…”

“…Bakun et al's (2003) model can be used to analyze historical CUS earthquakes with only a few intensity assignments and includes empirical site corrections to account for anomalous site effects, such as the enhanced shaking effects in 1811-1812 in communities built on weak ground along waterways (Hough et al, 2000). Bakun and Hopper (2004a) applied Bakun et al's (2003) model to M < 6 historical CUS earthquakes and compiled a catalog of historical seismicity wherein all of the M and location estimates are obtained using the same method and model. Bakun and Hopper's (2004a) comprehensive listing of the largest known historical CUS earthquakes provides a consistent basis for estimating seismic hazard, in particular in parts of the central United States where reliable M values have not previously been available.…”

Cataloging the 1811-1812 New Madrid, Central U.S., Earthquake Sequence

“…The aftershocks are not included in the National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (NCEER) catalog of historical central/eastern U.S. earthquakes (Armbruster and Seeber 1992). Nor are aftershocks included in a more recent study (Bakun and Hopper 2004b), which presents locations and magnitudes for moderate historical earthquakes in the eastern/central U.S. but does not include any events prior to 1827.…”