How powerful was the strongest earthquake in Illinois?
The largest Illinois earthquake ever recorded occurred on November 9, 1968, and measured 5.4 on the Richter scale.
What is strong motion earthquake?
Strong motion is ground motion of sufficient amplitude and duration to be potentially damaging to a building or other structure.
What was the magnitude of the largest earthquake in Illinois?
5.4
The 1968 Illinois earthquake (a New Madrid event) was the largest recorded earthquake in the U.S. Midwestern state of Illinois. Striking at 11:02 am on November 9, it measured 5.4 on the Richter scale.
Is Illinois on a major fault line?
Despite not being located near a large fault line such as those in California, Illinois is at risk. There is up to a 40 percent chance for a major earthquake in Illinois according to FEMA.
Can you see the ground move during an earthquake?
The physical wave being viewed may be manifested by movement of grass tops or dust particles, as “road-mirage” type changes, or as true wave motion in soil, but because of the stroboscopic effect even high-speed surface seismic waves traveling at speeds of kilometers per second could become visible as slow-speed …
What are the characteristics of a strong earthquake ground motion?
To explain this phenomenon in terms of ground motion characteristics, based on 58 sets of strong ground motions in this earthquake, the peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV), acceleration response spectra (Sa), duration, and Arias intensity are analyzed.
What earthquake fault is in Illinois?
Illinois is flanked on its western and eastern borders by two active seismic zones: the New Madrid Seismic Zone and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. The New Madrid fault zone is very active. In 1811-1812 the area in southern Missouri was hit by an earthquake that registered 7.5 on the Richter scale.
What earthquake fault is near Illinois?
The New Madrid fault zone
Illinois is flanked on its western and eastern borders by two active seismic zones: the New Madrid Seismic Zone and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. The New Madrid fault zone is very active. In 1811-1812 the area in southern Missouri was hit by an earthquake that registered 7.5 on the Richter scale.
Why do we need recordings of earthquake shaking?
The recordings also are fundamental for understanding and characterizing the physics of earthquake rupture, the generation and propagation of damaging ground motions, and the shaking performance of structures.
Why is strong motion important to earthquake prevention?
Learn more: USGS Fact Sheet 068-03 Monitoring Earthquake Shaking in Buildings to Reduce Loss of Life and Property. Strong-motion recordings of damaging earthquakes in densely urbanized areas are critical for designing earthquake-resistant structures to reduce property loss and casualties from future earthquakes.
What is the USGS National strong motion project?
The USGS National Strong-Motion Project (formerly titled the National Strong Motion Program) has the primary Federal responsibility for acquiring strong motion records of significant earthquakes in the United States recorded by sensors placed in the ground and in man-made structures.