Midwest Fault System Could Be Shutting Down <br /> (LiveScience.com

[Vic 17]

LiveScience.com - A crack in the earth that resulted in the biggest quakes known in the center of the United States - and which have raised fears of a big one sometime this century - might actually be in the process of shutting down, scientists now suggest.

 

The new research on this earthquake zone, dubbed the New Madrid fault system, could change what we know of how quakes in the middle of continents work.

 

Three of the largest earthquakes in North America recorded in history occurred at the New Madrid system over the course of two months from 1811 to 1812. ...

 

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[trekz 7]

Very interesting. I've felt a couple quakes here in Illinois. One was very minor. The other back in 1968 when I was in college was very noticeable and was rather disconcerting when I looked outside and could see large trees shaking. There was little or no damage where I was in western Illinois, but it was an eye opener as far as the New Madrid fault was concerned. I had heard of the big 1811-1812 quakes but thought them a thing of the past. If this research is true, maybe the fault will be quiet for the rest of my lifetime.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Why would an area of the US that never had a Spanish presence be called New Madrid?