The enigma of the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812

Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Volumn 24, Issue , 1996, Pages 339-384

  Johnston, Arch C ^a   Schweig, Eugene S ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS   (United States)

Author keywords

Continental rifts; Great earthquakes; Paleoseismology

Indexed keywords

EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE; FAULTING; HISTORICAL SEISMICITY; INTRACONTINENTAL RIFT; LIQUEFACTION; NEW MADRID EARTHQUAKES 1811-1812;

USA, MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT;

EID: 0030482457     PISSN: 00846597     EISSN: None     Source Type: Book Series    
DOI: 10.1146/annurev.earth.24.1.339     Document Type: Article

References (130)

1. Audubon JJ. 1897. Audubon and his Journals, ed. Audubon MR, pp. 234-37. New York: Scribner
2. Bedinger D. 1812. Journal excerpts. In National Intelligencer, 14 March 1812 issue, Washington DC; also Farmer's Repository, 28 Feb. 1812 issue (different account)
3. Bedinger D. 1812. Journal excerpts. In National Intelligencer, 14 March 1812 issue, Washington DC; also Farmer's Repository, 28 Feb. 1812 issue (different account)
4. Berry D. 1908. The Illinois earthquake of 1811 and 1812. Trans. Ill. State Hist. Soc. 12:74-78
5. Bollinger GA, Chapman M, Sibol M. 1993. A comparison of earthquake damage areas as a function of magnitude across the United States. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 83:1064-80
6. Bradbury J. 1817. Travels in the Interior of North America in the Years 1809, 1810 and 1811. London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones; reprinted 1966 in March of America Facsimile Ser. Ann Arbor, MI: Univ. Microfilms
7. Bradbury J. 1817. Travels in the Interior of North America in the Years 1809, 1810 and 1811. London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones; reprinted 1966 in March of America Facsimile Ser. Ann Arbor, MI: Univ. Microfilms
8. Braile LW, Hinze WJ, Keller GR, Lidiak EG, Sexton JL. 1986. Tectonic development of the New Madrid rift complex, Mississippi embayment, North America. Tectonophysics 131:1-21
9. Braile LW, Keller GR, Hinze WJ, Lidiak EG. 1982. An ancient rift complex and its relation to contemporary seismicity in the New Madrid seismic zone. Tectonics 1:225-37
10. Braunm M. 1896. Narrative. In History of Dunklin County, Mo. 1845-1895, Smyth-Davis MF, pp. 15-18. St. Louis: Nixon-Jones
11. Bringer L. 1821. Notices of the geology, mineralogy, topography, production, and aboriginal inhabitants of the regions around the Mississippi and its confluent waters. Am. J. Sci. 3:15-46
12. Bryan E. 1848. Letter written in 1816. In The History of Cosmopolite; or, the Four Volumes of Lorenzo Dow's Journal. Wheeling, VA: Joshua Martin
13. Burke K, Dewey JF. 1973. Plume-generated triple junctions: key indicators in applying plate tectonics to old rocks. J. Geol. 81:406-433
14. Chiu JM, Johnston AC, Yang YT. 1992. Imaging the active faults of the central New Madrid seismic zone using PANDA array data. Seismol. Res. Lett. 63:375-93
15. Cramer Z. 1814. The Navigator. Pittsburgh, PA: Cramer, Spear, and Eichbaum. 215 pp. 8th ed.
16. Crone AJ, Luza KV. 1990. Style and timing of the Holocene surface faulting on the Meers fault, southwestern Oklahoma. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 102:1-17
17. Crone AJ, McKeown FA, Harding ST, Hamilton RM, Russ DP, Zoback MD. 1985. Structure of the New Madrid seismic source zone in southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas Geology 13:547-50
18. Das S. 1983. Appropriate boundary conditions for modeling very long earthquakes and physical consequences. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am 76:1911-26
19. Davis J. 1812. Letter. In Otsego Herald (New York), 28 March 1812 issue
20. Davison 1936, Great Earthquakes. London: Thomas Murby. 286 pp.
21. Ding Z. 1991. An investigation of the relationship between the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes and landslides on Crowley's ridge, Arkansas. MS thesis. Memphis St. Univ. 61 pp.
22. Ellis M, Schweig ES. 1995. Using topography to constrain source characteristics of the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. with Prog. 27(6):A395 (Abstr.)
23. Ervin CP, McGinnis LD. 1975. Reelfoot rift: reactivated precursor to the Mississippi embayment. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 86:1287-95
24. Fletcher J. 1812. Narrative dated Jan. 21, 1812. In Pittsburg Gaz., Feb. 14, 1812 issue
25. Frankel A. 1994. Implication of felt area-magnitude relations for earthquake scaling and the average frequency of perceptible ground motion. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 84:462-65
26. Fuller ML. 1912. The New Madrid Earthquakes. U.S. Geol. Surv. Bull. 494. 119 pp.
27. Garrett WE, ed. 1988. Historical Atlas of the United States. Washington DC: Natl. Geogr. Soc.
28. Gomberg J. 1992. Tectonic deformation in the New Madrid seismic zone: inferences from boundary-element modeling. Seismol. Res. Lett. 63:407-26
29. Gomberg J, Ellis M. 1994. Topography and tectonics of the central New Madrid seismic zone: Results of numerical experiments using a three-dimensional boundary element program. J. Geophys. Res. 99:20,299-310
30. Guccione MJ, Miller JQ, Van Arsdale RB. 1994. Amount and timing of deformation near the St. Francis "sunklands," northeastern Arkansas. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. with Programs 26(1):7 (Abstr.)
31. Guccione MJ, Van Arsdale RB. 1995. Holocene surface deformation and drainage disruption: evidence for paleoseismology in the New Madrid seismic zone, mid-continent U.S.A. Abstr. Int. Quaternary Assoc. Meet., Berlin, Germ., 99. (Abstr.)
32. Guccione MJ, Van Arsdale RB, Hehr LH. 1993. Evidence for late-Holocene tectonic deformation in the New Madrid seismic zone, Big Lake, northeastern Arkansas. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. with Programs 25(6):A460-1 (Abstr.)
33. Hamilton RM, McKeown FA. 1988. Structure of the Blytheville arch in the New Madrid seismic zone. Seismol. Res. Lett. 59:117-21
34. Hamilton RM, Zoback MD. 1982. Tectonic features of the New Madrid seismic zone from seismic-reflection profiles. In Investigations of the New Madrid, Missouri, Earthquake Region, US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1236-F, ed. FA McKeown, LC Pakiser, pp. 55-82
35. Hanks TC, Johnston AC. 1992. Common features of the excitation and propagation of strong ground motion for North American earthquakes. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 82:1-23
36. Hanks TC, Kanamori H. 1979. A moment magnitude scale. J. Geophys. Res. 84:2348-50
37. Harding TP. 1985. Seismic characteristics and identification of negative flower structures, positive flower structures, and positive structural inversion. Bull. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. 69:582-600
38. Hendricks JD. 1988. Bouguer gravity of Arkansas. US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1474. 2 plates, 30 pp.
39. Herrmann R, Whittington M, Liu W. 1994. Central Mississippi Valley Earthquake Bull. No. 79-82. St. Louis Univ.
40. Hildenbrand TG. 1985. Rift structures of the northern Mississippi embayment from the analysis of gravity and magnetic data. J Genphys. Res. 90:12,607-22
41. Hildenbrand TG, Hendricks JD. 1995. Geophysical setting of the Reelfoot rift and relations between rift structures and the New Madrid seismic zone. In Investigations of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1538-E, ed. KM Shedlock, AC Johnston, pp. E1-E30
42. Himes L, Stauder W, Herrmann RB. 1988. Indication of active faults in the New Madrid seismic zone from precise location of hypocenters. Seismol. Res. Lett. 59(4):123-31
43. Howe JR, Thompson TL. 1984. Tectonics, sedimentation, and hydrocarbon potential of the Reelfoot rift. Oil Gas J. 82(46):179-90
44. Hyndman RD, Wang K. 1995. The rupture zone of Cascadia great earthquakes from current deformation and the thermal regime. J. Geophys. Res. 100:22,133-54
45. Jibson RW, Keefer DK. 1988. Landslides triggered by earthquakes in the central Mississippi valley, Tennessee and Kentucky. US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1336-C. 1 plate, 24 pp.
46. Johnston AC. 1996a. Seismic moment assessment of earthquakes in stable continental regions - 1. Instrumental seismicity. Geophys. J. Int. In press
47. Johnston AC. 1996b. Seismic moment assessment of earthquakes in stable continental regions - 2. Historical seismicity. Geophys. J. Int. In press
48. Johnston AC. 1996c. Seismic moment assessment of earthquakes in stable continental regions - 3. New Madrid, 1811-1812, Charleston 1886, and Lisbon 1755. Geophys. J. Int. In press
49. Johnston AC, Coppersmith KJ, Kanter LR, Cornell CA. 1994. The Earthquakes of Stable Continental Regions: Assessment of Large Earthquake Potential. EPRI Rep. TR-102261, ed. JF Schneider. Palo Alto, CA: Elect. Power Res. Inst. 309 pp.
50. Johnston AC, Nava SJ. 1985. Recurrence rates and probability estimates for the New Madrid seismic zone. J. Geophys. Res. 90:6737-53
51. Johnston AC, Shedlock KM. 1992. Overview of research in the New Madrid seismic zone. Seismol. Res. Lett. 63:193-208
52. Kanamori H. 1977. The energy release in great earthquakes. J. Geophys. Res. 82:2981-87
53. Keefer DK. 1984. Landslides caused by earthquakes. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 95:406-21
54. Kelson KI, Simpson GD, Van Arsdale RB, Harris JB, Haraden CC, Lettis WR. 1996. Multiple Holocene earthquakes along the Reelfoot fault, central New Madrid seismic zone. J. Geophys. Res. In press
55. Kelson KI, Van Arsdale RB, Simpson GD, Lettis WR. 1992. Assessment of the style and timing of late Holocene surficial deformation along the central Reelfoot scarp, Lake County, Tennessee. Seismol. Res. Lett. 63:349-56
56. Kerr R. 1995. Faraway tsunami hints at a really big Northwest quake. Science 267:962
57. King JE. 1978. New evidence on the history of the St. Francis sunklands, northeastern Arkansas. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 89:1719-22
58. Lafferty RH III, Tuttle MP, Guccione MJ, Schweig ES, Cande RF, et al. 1996. Archeological dating of liquefaction features and seismic events in the New Madrid seismic zone, central United States. Geoarcheology Submitted
59. Langenheim VE. 1995. Gravity of the New Madrid seismic zone - A preliminary study. In Investigations of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1538-L, ed. KM Shedlock, AC Johnston, pp. L1-L18
60. La Roche F. 1927. Letter dated Feb. 20, 1812. In A Sailor's Record of the New Madrid Earthquake. Missouri Hist. Rev. 22:268-70
61. Lesieur G. 1874. Letter dated 1871 to AD Hagar, former State Geologist of Missouri. In Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, p. 394. St. Louis: RA Campbell
62. Lexington Reporter. 1812. Extracts from a letter to a gentleman in Lexington, from his friend at N. Madrid (U.L.) dated 16th Dec. 1811. Lexington KY, Feb. 1, 1812 issue
63. Li Y, Tuttle MP, Schweig ES, Ellis MA. 1994. New results of paleoearthquake studies in the northern New Madrid seismic zone. EOS, Trans. Am. Geophys. Union 75(4):452 (Suppl.) (Abstr.)
64. Liu L, Zoback MD, Segall P. 1992. Rapid intraplate strain accumulation in the New Madrid seismic zone. Science 257:1666-69
65. McBride J. 1910. Letter dated April 1, 1812. In Voyage Down the Mississippi River. Q. Publ. Hist. Phil. Soc. Ohio V:27-31
66. McKeown FA, Diehl SF. 1994. Evidence of contemporary and ancient excess fluid pressure in the New Madrid seismic zone of the Reelfoot rift, central United States. In Investigations of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1538-N, ed. KM Shedlock, AC Johnston, pp. N1-N24
67. McKeown FA, Hamilton RM, Diehl SF, Glick EE. 1990. Diapiric origin of the Blytheville and Pascola arches in the Reelfoot rift, east-central United States: relation to New Madrid seismicity. Geology 18:1158-62
68. Mitchell SL. 1815. A detailed narrative of the earthquakes .... Trans. Lit. Phil. Soc. 1:281-307
69. Morse DF, Morse PA. 1983. Archaeology of the Central Mississippi Valley. San Diego, CA: Academic. 345 pp.
70. Naylor MA, Mandl G, Sijpesteijn CHJ. 1986. Fault geometries in basement-induced wrench faulting under different initial stress states. J. Struct. Geol. 8:737-52
71. Nolte V. 1854. Fifty Years in Both Hemispheres or, Reminiscences of the Life of a Former Merchant. London: Trubner
72. Nuttli OW. 1973. The Mississippi Valley earthquakes of 1811 and 1812; intensities, ground motion, and magnitudes. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 63:227-48
73. Nuttli OW. 1983. Average seismic source-parameter relations for mid-plate earthquakes. Bull. Seismol Soc. Am. 73:519-35
74. Nuttli OW. 1987. The effects of earthquakes in the central United States. Rep. for Central US Earthq. Consort. Memphis TN: Fed. Emerg. Manage, Agency. 33 pp.
75. Nuttli OW, Bollinger GA, Griffiths DW. 1979. On the relation between modified Mercalli intensity and body-wave magnitude. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 69:893-909
76. Obermeier SF. 1988. Liquefaction potential in the central Mississippi Valley. US Geol. Surv. Bull. 1832. 21 pp.
77. Obermeier SF. 1989. The New Madrid earthquakes: an engineering-geologic interpretation of relict liquefaction features. US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1336-B. 11 plates, 114 pp.
78. Odum JK, Stephenson WJ, Shedlock KM, Pratt TL 1996. Deformation associated with the February 7, 1812, New Madrid, Missouri earthquake. Tectonics. Submitted
79. Oldham RD. 1926. The Cutch (Kachh) earthquake of 16th June 1819 with a revision of the great earthquake of 12th June 1897. Mem. Geol. Surv. India 46(2):71-147
80. Penick JL. 1981. The New Madrid Earthquakes. Columbia, MO: Univ. Missouri Press. 176 pp. Revised ed.
81. Pierce WL. 1812. Letter dated Dec. 25, 1811. In New York Evening Post, 11 Feb. 1812 issue
82. Plafker G, 1965. Tectonic deformation associated with the 1964 Alaska earthquake. Science 148:1675-87
83. Rhea S, Wheeler RL. 1994. Map showing large structures interpreted from geophysical data in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri. US Geol. Surv. Misc. Field Stud. Map MF-2264-B
84. Richter CF. 1958. Elementary Seismology. San Francisco: Freeman. 768 pp.
85. Ritchie J. 1859. Narrative of an eye-witness. In The Earthquake of 1811 at New Madrid, Missouri. Annu. Rep. Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Inst., T Dudley, corresp., pp. 421-24. Washington DC: Harris
86. Roddell G. 1812. Narrative statement. See Lexington Reporter, 1812
87. Russ DP. 1979. Late Holocene faulting and earthquake recurrence in the Reelfoot Lake area, northwestern Tennessee. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., Part I 90:1013-18
88. Russ DP. 1982. Style and significance of surface deformation in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri. In Investigations of the New Madrid, Missouri, Earthquake Region, US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1236-H, ed. FA McKeown, LC Pakiser, pp. 95-114
89. Russ DP, Stearns RG, Herd DG. 1978. Map of exploratory trench across Reelfoot scarp, northwestern Tennessee. US Geol. Surv. Misc. Field Stud. Map MF-985
90. Rydelek PA, Pollitz FF. 1994. Fossil strain from the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes. Geophys. Res. Lett. 21:2303-6
91. Satake K, Shimazaki K, Tsuji Y, Ueda K. 1996. Time and size of a giant earthquake in Cascadia inferred from Japanese tsunami records of January 1700. Nature 379:246-49
92. Saucier RT. 1977. Effects of the New Madrid earthquake series in the Mississippi alluvial valley. US Army Eng. Waterways Expt. Station Misc. Pap. S-77-5
93. Saucier RT. 1991. Geoarchaeological evidence of strong prehistoric earthquake in the New Madrid (Missouri) seismic zone. Geology 19:296-98
94. Scholz CH. 1988. The brittle-plastic transition and the depth of seismic faulting. Geol. Rundsch. 77:319-28
95. Scholz CH. 1990. The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press. 439 pp.
96. Schweig ES III, Ellis MA. 1992. Distributed faulting along the Bootheel lineament - smoothing over the rough spots in the New Madrid seismic zone. Seismol. Res. Lett. 63:50 (Abstr.)
97. Schweig ES, Ellis MA. 1994. Reconciling short recurrence intervals with minor deformation in the New Madrid seismic zone. Science 264:1308-11
98. Schweig ES III, Marple RT. 1991. The Bootheel lineament: a possible coseismic fault of the great New Madrid earthquakes. Geology 19:1025-28
99. Schweig ES III, Marple RT, Li Y. 1992a. An update of studies of the Bootheel lineament in the New Madrid seismic zone, southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas. Seismol. Res. Lett. 63:277-84
100. Schweig ES III, Shen F, Kanter LR, Van Arsdale RB, Luzietti EA, et al. 1992b. Shallow seismic reflection survey of the Bootheel lineament area, southeastern Missouri. Seismol. Res. Lett. 63:285-96
101. Schweig ES, Van Arsdale RB. 1996. Neotectonics of the upper Mississisppi embayment. Eng. Geol. In press
102. Sexton JL, Henson H Jr, Dial P, Shedlock K. 1992. Mini-Sosie high resolution seismic reflection profiles along the Bootheel lineament in the New Madrid seismic zone. Seismol. Res. Lett. 63:297-308
103. Sexton JL, Jones PB. 1986. Evidence for recurrent faulting in the New Madrid seismic zone from Mini-Sosie high-resolution reflection data. Geophysics 51:1760-88
104. Shaler W. 1815. Letter dated March 23, 1812. See Mitchell 1815, pp. 300-2
105. Shaw J. 1912. New Madrid earthquake. Account of Col. John Shaw. Missouri Hist. Rev. 6:91-92
106. Shedlock KM, Harding ST. 1982. Mississippi River seismic survey. Geophys. Res. Lett. 9:1275-78
107. Singh S, Herrmann RB. 1983. Regionalization of crustal coda Q in the continental United States. J. Geophys. Res. 88:527-38
108. Smith J. 1812. Letter to Z. Cramer. In Pittsburg Gaz., March 13, 1812 issue
109. Speed M. 1812. Letter dated March 3, 1812. in Penn. Gaz., March 18, 1812 issue
110. Stahle DW, Van Arsdale RB, Cleaveland MK. 1992. Tectonic signal in baldcypress trees at Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee. Seismol. Res. Lett. 63:439-48
111. Stover CW, Coffman JL. 1993. Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (revised). US Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1527. 418 pp.
112. Street R. 1982. A contribution to the documentation of the 1811-1812 Mississippi valley earthquake sequence. Earthq. Notes 53(2):39-52
113. Street R. 1984. The Historical Seismicity of the Central United States: 1811-1928. Final rep., contract 14-08-0001-21251, US Geol. Surv., Append. A. 316 pp.
114. Street R, Nuttli O. 1984. The central Mississippi Valley earthquakes of 1811-1812. In Proc. Symp. on "The New Madrid Seismic Zone." US Geol Surv. Open-File Rep. 84-770, pp. 33-63
115. Sylvester AG. 1988. Strike-slip faults. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 100:1666-703
116. Tchalenko JS. 1970. Similarities between shear zones of different magnitudes. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 81:1625-40
117. Thomas WA. 1991. The Appalachian-Ouachita rifted margin of southeastern North America. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 103:415-31
118. Tichelaar BW, Ruff LJ. 1993. Depth of seismic coupling along subduction zones. J. Geophys. Res. 98:2017-37
119. Tuttle MP, Schweig ES. 1995. Archeological and pedological evidence for large prehistoric earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone, central United States. Geology 23:253-56
120. Turtle MP, Schweig ES. 1996. Prehistoric liquefaction features: lessons learned in the New Madrid seismic zone, central United States. J. Geophys. Res. In press
121. Valentine R, Mirecki J, Schweig ES. 1994. Estimate of historical sedimentation rate in a core from Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee. J. Tenn. Acad. Sci. 69:46 (Abstr.)
122. Van Arsdale RB, Kelson KI, Lumsden CH. 1995. Northern extension of the Tennessee Reelfoot scarp into Kentucky and Missouri. Seismol. Res. Lett. 66:57-62
123. Van Arsdale RB, Kelson KI, Simpson GD, Lumsden CH, Harris JB. 1994a. Northern extension of Reelfoot scarp, Kentucky and Missouri. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. with Programs 26(7):A189 (Abstr.)
124. Van Arsdale RB, Stahle DW, Cleaveland MK. 1991. Tectonic deformation revealed in baldcypress trees at Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee. US Nucl. Reg. Comm. NUREG/CR-5749. 12 pp.
125. Van Arsdale RB, Stahle DW, Cleaveland MK. 1994b. New Madrid earthquake signals in baldcypress at Reelfoot Lake and Lake St. Francis, AR. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. with Programs 26(1):29 (Abstr.)
126. Wheeler R, Rhea S. 1994. Map showing surficial and hydrologic features in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri. US Geol. Surv. Misc. Field Stud. Map MF-2264-E
127. Wheeler R, Rhea S, Dart RL. 1994. Map showing structure of the Mississippi Valley graben in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri. US Geol. Surv. Mirc. Field Stud. Map MF-2264-D
128. Woolery EW, Wang Z, Street RL, Harris J B. 1996. A P- and SH-wave seismic reflection investigation of the Kentucky bend fault scarp in the New Madrid seismic zone. Seismol. Res. Lett. Submitted
129. Youd TL, Perkins DM, Turner WG. 1989. Liquefaction severity index attenuation for the eastern United States. In Proc. 2nd US-Japan Workshop on Liquefaction, Large Ground Deformation and Their Effects on Lifelines, ed. TD O'Rourke, M Hamada, pp. 438-52. Buffalo, New York: Natl. Cent. Earthq. Eng. Res. Tech. Rep. NCEER-89-0032
130. Zoback MD, Hamilton RM, Crone AJ, Russ DP, McKeown FA, Brockman SR. 1980. Recurrent intraplate tectonism in the New Madrid seismic zone. Science 209:971-76