There is a very important aspect of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill crisis that hardly anyone is talking about. You see, it is not just an "oil spill" that BP has unleashed on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. What BP has done is that they have uncorked an "oil volcano" that is violently spewing oil and gas out of the floor of the Gulf of Mexico so violently and with such pressure that it is beyond the capacity of human technology to control it. Millions upon millions of gallons of oil have already been pumped into the Gulf of Mexico, and millions upon millions more will continue to be pumped into the Gulf before all of this is over. So could all of this violent activity on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico spark seismic activity in the region that could potentially be absolutely catastrophic? Could this "oil volcano" cause an earthquake along the New Madrid fault line that is so powerful that it could bring about "the end of the world as we know it" for those living in the area?
Those are legitimate questions.
Nearly 200 years ago, earthquakes rattled the New Madrid fault line that were so powerful that they are still talked about today. Fortunately, at the time the areas impacted were not highly populated so the damage was minimal. But similar earthquakes today would impact millions of people.
The truth is that there were four earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 along the New Madrid fault that were estimated to have been magnitude-7.0 or greater. It was reported that those quakes opened deep fissures in the ground and that they were felt as far away as Boston.
There are even those who believe that someday an earthquake will strike the New Madrid fault that will be so powerful that it will rip a hole in the center of the United States and will allow the Gulf of Mexico to pour in and create a new body of water in the middle of the continental United States.
Now, let's hope that such a thing will not happen in our lifetimes, but according to scientists, the potential for a nightmarish earthquake in the area of the New Madrid fault is very real.
But what does that have to do with the Gulf of Mexico?
Well, a retired Texaco geologist-geophysicist named Jack M. Reed who has been studying the geology of the Gulf of Mexico for over 40 years believes that the Gulf of Mexico is currently tectonically active.
In fact, Reed believes that it is the Gulf of Mexico that is the likely origin for New Madrid seismic activity.
According to Reed, there is evidence that the New Madrid seismic zone is directly connected with geological features in the Gulf of Mexico....
"This northeast trending earthquake zone appears to connect with the northeast trending Monroe Uplift, the LaSalle Arch and, possibly, to an active seismic zone located in and around Sabine Lake on the Texas-Louisiana border."
Not only that, but Reed believes that the key to unlocking the mystery behind the New Madrid fault zone lies in examining the "deeply buried tectonics" in the Gulf....
"This entire zone through the United States is suffering some type of tectonic activity that I believe is tied to the deeply buried tectonics in the Gulf of Mexico."
So has BP disturbed those "deeply buried tectonics" by drilling such a deep well?
Let's hope not.
Because if the "Big One" does hit the New Madrid fault, the cities of Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri will essentially be destroyed. In addition, there would be devastation in a host of surrounding states including Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Indiana, Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee.
So just how bad would the damage be?
Well, according to a study publicly released this week by the University of Illinois, it is projected that a 7.7-magnitude earthquake along the New Madrid fault would leave 3,500 people dead, more than 80,000 injured and more than 7 million homeless.
And that is just what a 7.7-magnitude earthquake would do.
If the "Big One" ever hit the New Madrid fault it would be "game over".
So let us hope that the "oil volcano" that BP's very deep drilling has unleashed will not cause any significant geological events.
Because it if does, the results could be absolutely catastrophic.
Even a weak earthquake on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico could send a tsunami hurtling towards the Gulf shore that could kill thousands and which could push oil and water miles inland.
The truth is that we have been monkeying with geological forces that we do not truly understand and that we cannot control.
Let us just hope that the damage that we have done is not too great.
***UPDATE***
We wanted to share with you this absolutely stunning eyewitness report about what is going on in the heart of the New Madrid fault zone area that was originally reported on another website....
I live on the new madrid fault. And I can tell you this.
The surface rupture of the roads and highways is out of control.
Also, everyday of the week the structure of my moms home is "cracking" and shifting. You can hear the walls and the surface crack.
Nearby is a dollar general store. In that parking lot there are 3 flagpoles that "vibrate" violently. (not shaking from wind) Each and everyday, the roads "blow" up potholes. U.S. 41 is ruptured severely.
Interstate 65 is also badly damaged. They keep trying to repave them but it doesn't work.
The cline ave bridge at points is closing.
This bridge and off ramps leads right into Inland steel and LTV steel and BP amoco.
So far, I believe 5-7 bridges have been shut down or are scheduled for closing because they are unsafe.
I monitor the earthquakes daily. And as you know there are far too many happening too quickly.
I believe the general public has been misled. In my opinion, the 2012 shift is happening now, but everyone has been conditioned to believe that they still have time to prepare for the main event.
Thats b.s. It doesn't happen all at once.
In Momence Illinois, some of the buildings are beginning to "sink".
In cedar lake Indiana, the same is happening.
The bottom line is this; Buildings are cracking, parking lots can't be fixed, roads and bridges are closing every week, sidewalks are sinking and sinkholes are opening everywhere. At time day or night, you can literally feel the earth "vibrate" below your feet.
I'm in Northwest Indiana, and I believe we are about to get hit with a earthquake of biblical proportions. We are surrounded by propane, natural gas and bp amoco refineries.
And, Im more than concerned what will happen when the new madrid erupts.
best regards
Bob
Well, you Americans tough that you could go on killing people around the world unpunished? Karma exists, now suck it and prepare that ass because this is just starting.
It’s not all Americans fault. You can’t blame everyone for a few.
I have felt 3 significant earthquakes since April 2010 never felt any before 1st outside downtown San Diego on the side walk , 2 in doors it is July 7th 2010 and I tell u that i believe that drillin oil anywhere is causing earthquakes and tsuamis and other problems we realy do need to stop oil drilling period !@#$% this fast paced greedy world. we can do better than this people and just like we tell the drug addict unless now the rules have changed . "got to do it Cold Turkey" and remove the option looks to me like its removin itself wont have a choice real soon look out!
Love You All
Really Do
AnnaRW 0-0
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0
That sounds so scarey Bob. I hope you and your loved ones will be able to get out of there soon. Am praying for you and all in the area and all Americans, Amen.
Bili,
That’s not how the concept of Karma works. It’s blind hate like that that ruins the world be it East or West. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma
I have been watching this whole oil spill because of a vision I received in 1982 that showed a very large earthquake occurring near Lake Monroe in Indiana, which was not connected with any fault zone I was aware of at the time. I became aware of Reed’s theory and that got my attention. This week, I discovered that the site of the earthquake I saw in the vision is located on the midline of the Southern Indiana Arm of the Reelfoot Rift, which underlies both the New Madrid and Wabash Valley seismic zones, so there appears to be some geologic validity to what I saw in the vision.
That being said, the last quote on this page cannot be verified. The Cline Avenue bridge was shut down for repairs, but I can’t find evidence of the other things mentioned, such as the sinkholes. There were major problems with potholes in Indianapolis due to the freezing/melting patterns last winter, but I can’t find any attribution of those being caused by unstable ground conditions. The original post does not have any way of contacting the author of the post, so I would be wary of swallowing it whole. That being said, I do think something very major and far-reaching MAY be coming as a result of the oil spill in addition to the obvious impacts on the wildlife, the people in that area, etc.
There is a prediction from the linguistics analyses released by halfpasthuman.com that indicates that all measures to control the spill will fail until late November 2011, when an earthquake will stop the flow. That MAY be the earthquake I saw in my vision. Only time will tell.
Cape Girardeau roads are buckling, they said its from the heat. A sinkhole swallowed a house and four people died in it a few weeks ago, I think in nearby southern Illinois. Strange, the elderly people around me are saying that the ocean floor could collapse or the New Madrid fault could get jarred. I have to believe more than 3,000 people will die. Our ancestors were terrified in the 1811 earthquake and thought the world was ending. Insurance companies four years ago in the area dropped earthquake insurance…
The oil platform was torpedoed by a North Korean Sub. The platform was built & owned by Hyundai (South Korean Company) and leased by BP.
I think everybody should calm down a bit and look at the hard facts.
Oil and gas drilling can do all kinds of nasty things to the earth — including contaminating groundwater, leaving giant waste pits behind (not to mention those big holes), employing toxic chemicals, necessitating road-building, marring views, and polluting the air — but destabilizing the planet it does not.
Remember that earthquakes are caused by the shifting of various tectonic plates that nudge each other and catch on one another and generally play a hefty game of bumper cars, though with billions of tons of rock.
You see, the deepest among the drill holes plunge down about six miles, and the earth’s crust averages some 20 to 40 miles deep on the continents, far beyond the range of even the most ambitious drilling project.
Besides, Oil drilling don’t leave “big empty caverns” (this is a unfounded misconception); the oil is in confined in spaces in porous rock, cracks, etc… This is why only a fraction of an oil field is actually recoverable.
So no, there is no reason to panic about BP-induced earthquake other than financial and ecological quake (which are actually quite significant).
As far as quakes go, I am more concern about the effect of climate change and the increased seismic activity this may have. If global warming gets so bad that the south pole melts away, then billions and billions of ton of ice will be transformed into water, shifting significant mass away from the pole. And this could have a serious impact on tectonic plate arrangements.
Herve
http://www.worldsalvation.info/
The New Madrid earthquake of 1812 created my favorite fishing hole of Reelfoot Lake when the Mississippi River reversed direction.
I don’t want to be rude but this report sounds hokey. I went to the “other site” linked and it’s verbatim so no help there. The location isn’t specific enough and it isn’t even dated. Where are the pics, if bridges and sidewalks and ramps are being closed, buildings are sinking, etc.? The writer (Bob) reports very dramatic events and this is the first I’ve heard, which seems doubtful. As I said I don’t like to sound rude and not calling anyone a liar but this seems suspect to me. I know about the New Madrid fault and the dire consequences that would result from a major event, but don’t like scaremongering. Where is the irrefutable proof? If such dramatic events are indeed occurring, they need to be legitimately documented.