English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

What region of the country is considered the freest of seismic risk?

2007-07-12 12:00:50 · 6 answers · asked by Aaron W 3 in Science & Mathematics Earth Sciences & Geology

6 answers

The most stable part of the US is the North American Craton. This covers most of the northern mid-west. The largest part of the North American Cration is actually in Canada, though. Most people are familiar with earthquake on the west coast, Hawaii, and Alaska. Someone has mentioned to you that rare but very large earthquakes can happen along the southern Mississippi River. (It was a rift that stopped spreading before it could form an ocean.) Contrary to popular belief, the east coast is still seismically active. Although tectonic activity stopped long ago in that area (as it did along the Mississippi), stress still exists in the plate. Very small earthquakes happen all the time there. Most of the time, humans cannot feel them, but about once a year or so, one happens that is big enough for people in a small area to feel it.
Additionally, Florida is typically considered to be a low risk area for earthquakes, but there have been a handful of magnitude 6's that have been felt but caused no significant damage over the past 100 years.

2007-07-12 13:36:32 · answer #1 · answered by beabria 2 · 3 0

The least tectonically active parts of the United States is the area through the Alleghanies, Blue Ridge, Smokies, (you get the general idea) just beyond the east coast piedmont. These once active areas, about 800 million years ago are now considered very tectonically stable.

FYI- one of the most power earthquakes to hit the US was not in California, Oregon, Washington State or even Alaska but in the US's midwest. It was so powerful it caused the Mississippi river to run backwards. No exactly a hot house for seimic activity, but it exists

One more point, there may be some argument that the east coast does have seimic activity, but it is not tectonic, it is what they call crustal rebound and it is a residual effect from the last ice age.

2007-07-12 12:45:31 · answer #2 · answered by ? 6 · 1 0

Northern Illinois.

Wisconsin.

Upper Peninsula Michigan.

2007-07-12 12:07:58 · answer #3 · answered by Irishpyro 2 · 0 0

Generally the Midwest. There have been earthquakes there, but seldom. Of course the areas with the least earthquake risk have the highest incidence of tornadoes, and some of them are flooding right now. Every place has its drawbacks.

2007-07-12 12:09:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

North central US, including KS, IN, MI, WI, MN, ND, SD, NE, but excluding the Black Hills region.

2007-07-12 12:49:29 · answer #5 · answered by Helmut 7 · 0 1

One of the most unstable places on earth is my butt hole.

2016-04-01 07:30:48 · answer #6 · answered by william j 1 · 1 1

fedest.com, questions and answers