...New Madrid(1811-1812) In the autumn of 1811, the United States was barely 35 years old. The fledgling nation included only 17 states, all east of the Mississippi River, but it boasted a lot of new territory thanks to the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Neither the buyers nor the sellers knew that the recent addition's basement contained a seismic time bomb nearly ready to go off At around 2:15 a.m. on December 16, 1811, a series of massive earthquake pummeled what is now southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas with ground motions so strong that trees snapped in two as they whipped back and forth. The landscape rose several meters in some areas and sank in others, changing the courses of creeks and waterways. During one of the quakes, even the mighty Mississippi was diverted; portions near the quake's presumed epicenter flowed backward for at least several hours, and possibly a day or more. People felt the temblor as far away as New York state, and seismic vibes from an aftershock that struck at dawn traveled almost as far, reaching residents in Georgia and what would soon become the state of Louisiana. Another quake of a similar size , maybe an aftershock, or maybe a separate quake along a different portion of the same fault zone - rumbled on January 23, 1812. The final major shaking in the series came about two weeks later, on February 7, when spreading seismic waves flung books from their shelves in Charleston, S.C., and rattled cups and saucers in Washington, D.C. As...
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...New Madrid, MO Earthquake of 1811-1812 Janelle E Kizer Geology 101 Spring 2012 1. Introduction: During 1811 – 1812, four earthquakes occurred in New Madrid, Mississippi River Valley, which are considered to be some of the most humongous earthquakes in the U.S. since the settlement by the Europeans. The first two was at 1811, December 16, Northeast Arkansas, Magnitude 7.2-8.1. The next one was at January 23, 1812 right at New Madrid, Missouri and the magnitude was 7-7.8. The last one occurred at February 7 of 1812, 9:45 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), in New Madrid, Missouri with a magnitude 7.4-8.0. All these earthquakes were 3 times stronger than the Alaska earthquake of 1964, and 10 times stronger compared to the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. 2. Geographic location of New Madrid, MO: New Madrid was formed in 1808. It is situated on the Mississippi River and interstate 55. It has a population of 3154 residents, and it is considered as a small community in United States. New Madrid, MO is located at 36.59° North latitude, 89.53° West longitude and about 89 meters altitude above the sea level. Geographic coordinates: Latitude: 36.59° North Longitude: 89.53° West Altitude: 89 m [pic] 3. General geologic setting: A state’s general geologic setting basically includes what types of rock has build up the overall region, what structural features that state has, like, mountains and...
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...Prof: Tanya Crail What’s a earthquake? According to the Geology Labs on-line website an earthquake is the sudden release of stored energy, caused by the shifting of tectonic plates. The energy release is a shock wave or seismic wave. The seismic wave is what causes the ground to move or shake, when this occurs we have a earthquake. According to the 2008 United States National Seismic Hazard Maps a lot of the west coast as far south as Hawaii, and north to Alaska has a lot of earthquake activity. The Pacific “Ring of Fire” (named for the large amount of active volcanoes), has a lot of tectonic activity. Tectonic plates are large plates of rock that make up the foundation of the Earth's crust and the shape of the continents. Question: What patterns do you see in the distribution of earthquakes across the continental United States? Answer: Earthquakes occur on fault lines, a location where tectonic plates have collided together and shifted or are sliding past each other. The size of the earthquake depends on how much slide or shift occurred. Most fault lines are located in costal areas, because of the continental and oceanic plates colliding together. Most of the United States earthquakes occurs on the west coast. California, and the entire west coast including Hawaii, and Alaska have the highest hazard rating at 64+, central locations of the United States like Texas, North and South Dakota seem to have the lowest risk of earthquakes, however Missouri, Illinois, Indiana...
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...Earthquakes are one of Mother Nature’s most powerful forces and have plagued our lives for as long as people have inhabited the earth. These dangerous acts of the earth have been the cause of many deaths in the past century. So what can be done about these violent eruptions that take place nearly without warning? Predicting an earthquake, until now, has almost been technologically impossible. However, with recent improvements in technology and science, many lives have been saved and many more will be. What is an earthquake and how do they occur? Did you know that most of the famous mountains are a result of an earthquake? (Cosmeo, 2008) That tidbit of information was just a little side note; now back to the paper. Earth is a planet that is made up of multiple layers. These layers include an inner layer and an outer layer and layer in between. The inner layer of the earth is a ball of molten rock that rotates within the earth. The other layers that are on top of the inner layer are floating about as a pliable ball of molten rock. The outer layer is what we refer to as the crust. The crust is very thin when compared to the other layers of the Earth. For example, think of the outer layer of an orange as it relates to the interior of the orange. This example relates closely to what the Earth looks like when we examine the crust. The crust and other layers floats upon the mantle core. The crust of the earth is made up of multiple pieces. Each of these giant pieces is called a tectonic...
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...have attached several maps in order to see different parts of the land. Map I shows where the county lines are located within Tennessee. You can also see where Memphis is located within the county. Map II shows the elevation levels of the state. As you can see in that map, Memphis is located within the lowest elevation levels of the state. Map III shows the rivers that run throughout the state. The main river that runs between the Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri borders is the Mississippi River. There are several natural disasters that I would consider to be threats to the Memphis area. One natural disaster that I would consider to be a concern to Memphis would be an earthquake. According to the United States Geological Survey, (USGS), there is an approximately six percent chance that there will be a major earthquake within 50 kilometers of Memphis in the next 50 years (Homefacts.com)....
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...Wabash Watershed Rhonda Seals Excelsior Wabash Watershed Global warming affects all of us. This is not just a "them" thing, or a "they" thing. Everyone on the planet needs to be aware of the consequences of their actions in contributing to global warming or as most people know it, The Green House Effect. Mankind has been contributing to this since the beginning of time in one way or another. Granted, we are doing more damage now than we did 100 years ago, but nonetheless, damage has been done. The proof is the average global temperature increasing expeditiously. "Data gathered from surface weather stations, ships, buoys, balloons, satellites, ice cores, and other paleoclimatological sources indicate that the climate of Earth is becoming warmer." (Hess, 2011, p.91) "Over the twentieth century, average global temperatures increased by more than 0.7°C (1.3°F)." (Hess) This is a remarkable statement, which even the most skeptic person cannot dismiss or ignore. "The increase in greenhouse gas concentration has been accompanied by a slight, yet nonetheless measurable, increase in average global temperature, raising the likelihood that humans are altering the global energy balance of the atmosphere. This important issue generally referred to as global warming". (Hess) Some of the data that scientist, biologist, geographers, and others use in determining the actual effects of global warming are temperature changes, precipitation, evapotranspiration...
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...What patterns to you see in the distribution of earthquakes across the continental United States? Most earthquakes occur in the United States along the coast of the Pacific, particularly the shoreline of California, Alaska and Japan in addition to earthquakes that occur in the mid-west and east coast states and along the border amid Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee. As noted, the highest levels of risk are in the west coast whereas the eastern central region is more moderate risk and insignificant risks are among northern and southern regions. Locate your home on this map and make a note of the relative risk to you by indicating the color where you live. Chicago, Illinois – has a very low hazard of occurrence. Magnitude: 2.5; Region: Mid-West. According to Earthquakes (2012), Illinois is at risk from two major seismic zones, the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone and the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). The Wabash Valley Zone is located between southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana. The NMSZ is located in the Central Mississippi Valley and includes portions of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee. During any 50-year time span, there is a 25% to 40% chance of a magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquake in this seismic zone. Since 1974, the year network monitoring of seismic activity began, more than 3000 earthquakes have been recorded in the NMSZ. Fortunately, none of these earthquakes exceeded a magnitude...
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...to conclude that our world is a contradiction in terms. This is not the case, we dwell on solid rock that is the surface of the Earth; the overwhelming facets of the Earth exist below the surface. It is here that we will find the tectonic plates of the Earth and cause for Earthquakes. An earthquake occurs as the two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another (usgs.gov). Generally a quake will occur without warning, although many times there may be a foreshock (smaller earthquake near epicenter, similar to an aftershock), which is usually mistaken for the Earthquake until the actual higher magnitude quake occurs. These shifts seem to happen without warning, however, upon observation and tracking of geological survey, structures, and pattern, it is possible to decipher the probable location of an earthquake. The United States Geological Survey map is a valuable tool when attempting to decipher whether a particular state is an Earthquake hotspot. Upon review of the Geological survey, one will notice that Pacific coast and the islands in the Pacific Ocean are furthermost susceptible to the quakes. Hazard levels range the low teens to over fifty percent. Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri rest on the New Madrid Fault line; subsequently these are states that share the red zone symbolizing the greatest risk for activity. We will notice that further inland the states experience less hazard until we begin approaching the Southeast states (southern tips of a few Northeastern...
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...asking what he could say about the earthquake, because the seismometers had been 152 knocked out by its severity. He told them the direction from which it came, along with its approximate distance (based on the time between different waves, but not the P and S that are normally used, as described earlier). From these he guessed that the earthquake was near Santa Cruz, and he was also able to roughly guess its strength. He boasted to me that for several hours his information was the best available. I must mention, however, that this “expert” is the same friend who bought a house on dredged coastal fill, the worst possible place to be in an earthquake; that is why he was able to view this earthquake so well. Scope of the problem To begin to see the scope of the problem of earthquakes and people, let’s consider a few statistics: • ~150 earthquakes each year are potentially damaging (Mw 6); • ~20 earthquakes each year cause severe damage (Mw 7); • in the 1990’s, more than 100,000 people were killed in earthquakes, especially those in Iran, India, Russia, and Japan. This was a worse death toll than usual, not because of more earthquakes but because they happened to affect highly populated areas. By comparison, storm surges killed 300,000 people in 1992 alone, mostly in Bangladesh. • the largest earthquake of the last 40 years, the Mw 9.2 Sumatra earthquake, created a tsunami that killed 228,000 people; • globally, the risk of being killed by an earthquake is ~1...
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...Option 1 – Tectonic Activity and Hazards What are tectonic hazards and what causes them? 1. Introduction Tectonic hazards have to be distinguished from tectonic events. Hazards tend to refer to those events or items that pose a threat to humans and their lifestyle. Therefore, a tectonic hazard is one which involves tectonic processes being hazardous to humans. In the first part of my essay I will be explaining exactly what is meant by tectonic processes and will be referring to the relatively new concept of Plate Tectonics which, although being presented as a theory in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, was not actually taken as the standard model until the late 1960’s and even then was being criticized by many learned scholars into the 1980’s. I will then explain what the main types of hazards are in tectonics, namely volcanoes (openings in the earth crust from which material from below the earth’s surface can be ejected) and earthquakes (movement in the earth’s crust that causes shaking of the ground above). However, there are many more hazards that can be associated with these two, namely tsunamis and from volcanoes, pyroclastic flows, lahars and volcanic gases. What causes these hazards should be explained in my explanation of plate tectonics. Throughout my assignment, I will be using many examples of tectonic hazards from around the globe, but will be focusing on certain case studies to try and explain exactly what causes tectonic hazards. I will be using the San Andreas Fault...
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...active seismic region where large earthquakes occur with frequency. At the time of the earthquake, Lisbon was preparing for one of the biggest celebrations in the religious calendar and the city was alive with activity in preparation for the forthcoming commemoration. A strange frightful noise underground was first heard, it sounded like distant rumbling of thunder. The first three shocks were over a ten minute period followed by an even more powerful second shock which sent buildings toppling down. There were two major aftershocks that caused added agony and despair to survivors. The Lisbon earthquakes caused considerable damage not only in Portugal but in Spain, Madrid and Seville. The shock waves were felt throughout Europe and North Africa, over an area of about 1,300,000 square miles. Moe than 18,000 buildings representing about 85% of the total were completely demolished. Over 30,000 people lost their lives in the first two minutes. The total death toll in Lisbon, a city of 230,000, was estimated to be about 90,000. Another 10, 000 people were killed in Morocco. The earthquake had wide-ranging effects on the lives of the populace and intelligentsia. The earthquake had struck on an important church holiday and had destroyed almost every important church in the city, causing anxiety and confusion amongst the citizens of a staunch and devout Roman Catholic city and country, which had been a major patron of the Church. The 1755 earthquake has sometimes been compared to the...
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...in the United States. b. Budget authority. c. Program eligibility. d. Roles and responsibilities. 2. Case Studies a. The National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP): Legislation to Address a Particular Hazard b. The Homeland Security Act of 2002: A New Emergency Management c. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000: A Shift to Pre-Disaster Mitigation 3. Additional Sources of Information 4. Glossary of Terms 5. Acronyms 6. Discussion Questions a. General b. NEHRP c. Homeland Security Act of 2002 d. DMA 2000 7. Suggested Out of Class Exercises Introduction No emergency management system anywhere in the world can properly function without statutory authority and consistent budget appropriations. Statutory authority defines disasters programs, determines who is eligible for these programs, provides the legal support needed to implement disaster programs and establishes the legal foundation for funding the programs and activities of the disaster agency. Without such authority, a government agency is powerless. Legal Basis of Modern Emergency Management in the United States The first recorded emergency management legislation in the United States occurred in 1803 when a Congressional Act was passed to provide financial assistance to a New Hampshire town devastated by fire. This is the first example of the Federal government becoming involved in a local disaster. During the 1930’s...
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...I lived in New Hampshire for over 20 years. That is the place where we raised our six children. We were also very fortunate to have also lived in Europe for many years. While living in NH, I was always intrigued with the story of a small resort village, Bretton Woods, and the global impact it had on Europe and the rest of the world. Bretton Woods institutions were created in 1944 during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference at the Mount Washington Hotel (The Bretton Woods Committee, n.d.). The Bretton Woods institutions created an international basis for exchanging one currency for another. It also led to the creation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, now known as the World Bank (Stephey, 2008) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)—the precursor to the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition to establishing the World Bank, the Committee chose the U.S. dollar as the pillar of international monetary exchange. The meeting provided the world post World War II currency stability which was desperately needed. The Bretton Woods system itself may have collapsed in 1971, when President Richard Nixon severed the link between the dollar and gold — a decision made to prevent a run on Fort Knox, which contained only a third of the gold bullion necessary to cover the amount of dollars in foreign hands. By 1973, most major world economies had allowed their currencies to float freely...
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...Risk Management – Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Christopher Peer CMGT/582 – Security and Ethics John Harvey Overview Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance is challenged to align security with business requirements. Business operational and financial integrity alongside compliance mandate that adequate and appropriate policy, operational and technical controls are in place to protect the organization and its information assets. To validate that its security and risk management program is effectively managed to business requirements, KFB relies on an effective risk assessment program to evaluate information security, set priorities, identify weaknesses and shortcomings in current processes, and define changes to improve the overall effectiveness of the security program. KFB frequently compares their information security program to others in the same industry sector to provide appropriate guidance on strengths and deficiencies in the program so they can maintain an appropriate level of information security for their business. The Assessment Approach The Kentucky Farm Bureau risk assessment program is based on industry best practices in the areas of information security and risk management. These practices are first introduced to key management and security personnel to develop proper methods for improving the information security program. The assessment starts with the data gathering phase to collect data that will be used to adapt the assessment data model to the KFB environment...
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...infrastructures then? They fall into the following major categories: the production and distribution of electricity, production and distribution of oil and gas, telecommunications, the financial system, transportation, water management, medical emergencies, and the continuity of Government activities. More concretely, these infrastructures can take the form of pipe networks (for distributing water, gas, petrol), wired networks (for telecommunications, electricity, Internet), dedicated networks and databases (for financial industries or military organizations), roads, airports, harbours, nuclear plants etc. How can these critical infrastructures be subject to attack, failure or weaknesses? Threats can be either physical or virtual. For example, an earthquake or a heavy storm are physical threats that affect electricity (by causing electrical surges) or transportation (by blocking roads and people). Cyber attacks are virtual but can nevertheless heavily affect the control and management of telecommunications, electricity and finance to name a few (for example, by causing IT failures affecting financial transactions). Critical infrastructures can also be defined in opposition to ‘common infrastructures’ and ‘special infrastructures’. Common infrastructures are the foundations of any system - for example roads, schools, local authorities, factories and nuclear plants etc. Special infrastructures have the role of enhancing the performance of various national systems (i.e. by modernization,...
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