why does Missouri have earthquakes and how often do they occur?
608783
the New Madrid fault is in the southeast part of the state, near Memphis.  it doesnt get earthquakes often, especially not big ones.  they just had a 2.7 a couple days ago, but you can barely feel that.\nthere was a really big one back in the 1800s.
1089007
is this what your talking about\n\n\nAn earthquake is a phenomenon that results from and is powered by the sudden release of stored energy that radiates seismic waves. At the Earth's surface, earthquakes may manifest themselves by a shaking or displacement of the ground and sometimes tsunamis, which may lead to loss of life and destruction of property.\n\nEarthquakes may occur naturally or as a result of human activities. In its most generic sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic event—whether a natural phenomenon or an event caused by humans—that generates seismic waves\n\nEarth (often referred to as "The Earth") is the third planet in the solar system in terms of distance from the Sun, and the fifth in order of size. It is the largest of its planetary system's terrestrial planets and the only place in the universe currently known to support life. The Earth was formed around 4.57 billion (4.57×109)[1] years ago (see Age of the Earth) and its largest natural satellite, the Moon, was orbiting it shortly thereafter, around 4.533 billion years ago.\n\nSince it formed, the Earth has evolved through geologic and biological processes so that any traces of the original conditions have been virtually eliminated. The outer surface is divided into several tectonic plates that gradually migrate across the surface over geologic time spans. The interior of the planet remains active, with a thick layer of molten mantle and an iron core that generates a magnetic field. The atmospheric conditions have been significantly altered by the presence of life forms, which create an ecological balance that modifies the surface conditions. About 70% of the surface is presently covered in salt water oceans, and the remainder consists of continents and islands.\n\nThere is significant interaction between the Earth and the space environment. The relatively large Moon provides ocean tides and has gradually modified the length of the planet's rotation period. A cometary bombardment during the early history of the planet is believed to have formed the oceans. Later, asteroid impacts are understood to have caused significant changes to the surface environment. Changes in the orbit of the planet may also be responsible for the ice ages that have covered significant portions of the surface in glacial sheets.\n\nThe Earth does not have another natural orbiting body other than the Moon, although Cruithne has been erroneously described as such. Cruithne was discovered in 1986 and follows an elliptical orbit around the Sun at about the same average orbital radius as the Earth. However, from the point of view of the moving Earth, Cruithne follows a horseshoe orbit around the Sun that avoids close proximity with the Earth.
855026
Most earthquakes happen along the edge of the oceanic and continental plates. [Oceanic plates are under water, continental plates are above.] The earth's crust (the outer layer of the planet) is made up of a bunch of pieces, called plates. The plates get moved around by the liquid layers of magma underneath the Earth's crust. The plates are always bumping into each other, and pulling away from each other or past eachother. Earthquakes usually happen when two plates are running into each other or sliding past each other. They can also happen along faults, too though.
403621
In a nutshell, their is no way to predict earthquakes because there are little to no warnings signs. For example in California, This is a transform fault where two plates are sliding past each other... Eventually the stress builds up so much that it moves a lot at one time.. This is what causes Earth Quakes there, and when they happen they are devastating... We just cant tell when the stress is so much that an earthquake is going to happen.. It is not possible and probably will never be.
127553
Earthquakes are caused by the shifting of the Earth's tectonic plates. We don't get earthquakes like the West coast here on the east coast because there simply isn't as much shifting.
734176
Earthquakes, I guess I'm kind of used to it. I live in L.A.
74001
When the "Big One" hits LA, it is very possible that small (less than 1 square mile) portions of the cliffs from Santa Monica to Malibu may fall in the ocean, but NO catastrophic (i.e. a city-wide or state-wide collapse) can possibly occur.  The primary reason is that all rocks have a finite strength and ability to accumulate stress.  Rocks along any fault will fail (causing an earthquake) before they can accumulate the amount of stress required to generate an earthquake capable of causing anything outside a mile or so of the coast to fall into the ocean.  That is the reason you don't see earthquakes greater in magnitude than 9-9.5....because rocks break and release their energy in the form of an earthquake before they can accumulate the stress required for a magnitude 10 or greater.
985665
The primary reason why we don't get many tornadoes in the New York area is the influence of the cooler Atlantic Ocean.  Cooler air nearer the coast acts as a stablizing influence and takes some of the zap out of tornado producing thunderstorms.  While there are exceptions, usually as strong cold fronts approach the coast they weaken and these fronts are often responsible for the heaviest thunderstorm activity.\n\nAs far as earthquakes go, we do not live near the edge of continental plates where there are more earthquakes of stronger magnitude, but just because we haven't experienced a big earthquake in New York in our lifetime, doesn't mean that it cannot happen.  Actually there is a fault that runs under 125th St. in Manhattan.  There are several others in Westchester County.  Some geologists have discovered that there is evidence that there have been some pretty big earthquakes in the New York area in the past, they just don't happen very frequently.  Not all major earthquakes happen near and along where different continental plates come together.
763353
A fault is merely a fracture in the rock along which movement has occurred.  Faults can occur on the scale of the very small, where you can measure the movement of rock on each side in millimetres, to the very large, such as the san andreas fault in the USA.  Each side of this fault has very different rock to the other as the fault has moved kilometres.  Since the rock within faults has been fractured and broken, it is generally softer than the surrounding rock causing it to preferentially erode.  Landforms such as valleys and rivers quite often follow old faults as a result of this.
462582
the missisippi doesnt normally but it has before. sometime in the early 1900's (i cant remember when) a large earthquake, i think in the mossouri region, actually shifted the earths crust enough for it to run backwards for a short time. this was isolated however and has only happened once in recorded history
251656
1811 1812 due to Earthquakes over a four monthalong the New Madrid Fault zone which is near Memphis and St Louis. The backward flow was temporary but the course of the river changed.
433112
well, at least one would be earthquakes, which happen when the earth's plates shift and collide. there is at least one major earthquake fault line under california
561068
An earthquake occurs where the stress and strain on the fault pane ruptures or slips. If we take the San Andreas fault for an example, it is at the edge of two tectonic plates. One of these plates is moving up the other down. Both plates are loading the fault plane with massive amounts of stored energy which when it reached a critial point 'gives way'. Think of it this way, you have two american football players (these can each be a side of the fault plane) facing each other and they get down to tackle (this cane be the stress and strain). There will come a point where one player gives way to the other player; this is the critial point where the strain and stress becomes too much to handle, the result an earthquake! However I gave the example of the S.A fault which is at a plate boundry, but bear in mind that eartquakes can occur where ever there are weakness in the rocks.
835536
i am not a seismologist but i think the movement of plates create holes and cracks beneath the crust that may cause the formation of openings where the hot gases and great pressures pass through and for several months or years a violent volcano may explode!
376357
there are many earthquake observatories in japan.\n we can get almost correct information within 10minutes\n but sometimes we cannot count on the machines.earthquakes\n occur everyday.
416466
Patterns of seismic activity along a fault line.\n\nScientists set up seismographs to measure this activity. Movement along faultlines is not uncommon. But we do not usually feel it b/c it is not strong enough. They, however, can detect these slight movements w/ their sensitive equipment.\n\nThere are some other signs as well. An increase in geologic activity near a faultline can give clues. Uplifting of land is one. Increases in geothermal activity may be another.
454271
They had an earthquake there a few years ago. I heard that Georgia had an earthquake. I was talking to my mother about it and said, "I didn't even know they had a fault under them." That's when she told me it was the Georgia in Russia not in the U.S. I was clueless. :)