{"id":13682,"date":"2023-11-29T20:25:26","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T19:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=13682"},"modified":"2023-11-29T20:25:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T19:25:26","slug":"is-there-a-fault-line-under-the-mississippi-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/is-there-a-fault-line-under-the-mississippi-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Is There A Fault Line Under The Mississippi River"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Mississippi River has been a marvel of geology and geography for centuries, drawing awe and admiration from everyone who crosses it. But underneath this beautiful and majestic river there may be something more sinister happening: could there be an active fault line running underneath it?<\/p>\n

The notion of a fault line running underneath the Mississippi River may seem a bit far-fetched, but there is evidence in the geological record that suggests it is possible. A fault line is a crack or ruptured area in the Earth’s crust that allows seismic activity to occur, and over the course of the last hundred years there have been numerous earthquakes recorded in the region. One of the most notable was in 1927 near Arabi, Louisiana, where a magnitude seven earthquake shook the foundation of the entire area.<\/p>\n

These seismic disturbances are difficult to explain in any other way without the presence of a fault line under the Mississippi River. While it is difficult to confirm the presence of a fault line without conducting a thorough survey of the area, a study conducted in 2016 by researchers at the University of Louisiana suggests that there is indeed a fault line running through the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which includes the Mississippi River.<\/p>\n

The New Madrid Seismic Zone is a large area that covers parts of five states in the Midwest and is one of the most active seismic zones in the United States. The fault line itself is estimated to be 1,100 miles long and extends from southeastern Missouri to northwestern Tennessee, with the Mississippi River following its course along the entire length of the fault. <\/p>\n