Earthquakes in Prague, Ok.

James Siler

James Siler

EF3
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
212
Location
Oklahoma City
So apparently a fault line over in Prague has decided to become active. Since 2:12 we have had about 6 earthquakes. A 4.7, several 3.X's and a 2.7. Wonder if it is hooked into the New Madrid System.

Correction we have had 8 earthquakes. 4.7, 3.4, 2.7, 2.7, 3.3, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6.
 
James Siler said:
So apparently a fault line over in Prague has decided to become active. Since 2:12 we have had about 6 earthquakes. A 4.7, several 3.X's and a 2.7. Wonder if it is hooked into the New Madrid System.
Click to expand...

The New Madrid system doesn't extend anywhere near Oklahoma - its extent is only about 150 miles.

This map might give a better clue...

It appears that the earthquake epicenter was located near the "10" on the map along a subsurface fault line.

ok.geo.provinces.large.gif
 
That area has been siesmically active for a long time. Small quakes (less than magnitude 3) have been happening at least once a week in that spot, I believe there has been a 4+ at least once a year for the past 2 or 3 years. There is another spot with similar event frequency northeast of Little Rock, AR, though none of those have been as strong as the biggest ones in the OK location.
 
These earthquakes (8 greater than 1.0, though the Oklahoma Geological Survey has recorded 30 earthquakes today...) occurred along the Wilzetta fault (start reading on page 10), which is also known as the Seminole Uplift.

I was laying on the couch last night when I felt the weak shaking from the quake.
 
It was upped to 5.6, I felt it here in Pittsburg, KS. Shook my entire apartment.
 
Felt it here in St. Louis, MO even. Two distinct shakes, each about five seconds, and just enough to sway my computer monitor. I'm on the third floor, which probably made the shaking more noticeable--neither of my two roomates noticed anything. USGS has reports of shaking all the way from Evanston IL with this event though...
 
Felt the shaking here in Wichita on the third floor of our apartment. The couch was literally shaking as well as the walls. Didn't know what the hell was going on as we were away from the internet and tv all day to not know about the previous Oklahoma ones this morning.

Very impressive! And pretty exciting.
 
Thank you to Scott Weberpal for correcting me on that. I had read some conflicting stuff in the past and thought that the New Madrid stuff branched into Oklahoma. ANd that fault line map you posted i had years ago but lost and haven't been able to find it till you posted it. Thank you so much for that. If I am reading it right it is coming off the Seminole Structure.
 
OKC/KC Earthquake 11-6-11

Did anyone feel the Earthquake last night? I'm guessing global warming has - effect on the ground but why now? Is it just the earth doing its thing? I don't remember there being a fault line near OKC....

I did feel it up here in KC though =)
 
There's no reason to suspect weather and/or chasing is an influence.

"The region is laced with known faults but numerous smaller or deeply buried faults remain undetected. Even most of the known faults are poorly located at earthquake depths. Accordingly, few earthquakes east of the Rockies can be linked to named faults. It is difficult to determine if a known fault is still active and could slip and cause an earthquake."

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usb0006klz.php#summary
 
I wish I had. My sister called me and said she and her husband felt it. Then they checked facebook and saw that several others in the Texarkana area had felt it also. I was driving. I figure global warming effects the movement of the earth's crust about like it effects the other hundred millions things it is blamed for. We must realize that the orbit of the moon causes the whole planet to be pulled on and tugged on everyday, causing it to shift around. The oceans rise and fall. Movement of the earth's crust has been going on since the earth was formed and always will, unless it ceases to exist as it is now. The earth is always in motion and changing, everything changes, earth quakes will happen in places where the haven't in 500 years, and they will become less frequent in other areas. So to answer your question, after considering these things my opinion is it is the earth just doing it's thing. Since the earths atmospheric temperature has warmed by a few 10nths of a degree in recent history due to human activity or not... we can't say it has no effect. It's my opinion that the whole global warming thing has become an easy explanation for anything folks don't fully understand. Rather than being based on science and presented to the general public in a truthful way, it is used to push agendas and make folks money. Everyone is going around blaming everything on global warming. Half the time I can't figure out if they are joking or not. I just wish I was a alive in a few hundred years when everyone will be hysterical over global cooling. Maybe I would be smart enough to make some money off of it.
 
I know that chasing doesn't affect the Earth lol. I was just trying to find a section that would fit the topic the best and this is it "I might be wrong"

Its just the strongest earthquake to hit the OK area and the first time in a long long time for KC to feel one. I was just excited because it was the first time for me to feel one. I thought my first time would be in LA or something. I will be in LA latter this month for the MLS cup =)
 
Yeah, two 4.5+ earthquakes in a 24hr period. I'm in McAlester, and felt both. One at 2a.m Saturday Morning and then the one after the myriad of college football games. Very weird, rattled windows down here, and all the hotel guests were kinda well, "rattled". OK, I will discontinue posting after the horrible, horrible pun. However, if advection can become decent today and skies clear up over west of DFW. I might take a short drive down there, not expecting much due to horrible LL Lapse Rates and instability. However, I have nothing else better to do.
 
I live in Lincoln County about 12 miles from the epicenter, and let me tell you it was quite a ride. Lasted about a minute with small vibrations lasting about 2 more (not the aftershocks...still going after the main tremor stopped). Very strong quake, and I must say that while I will get up close and personal with a tornado, I do not like the ground moving! Felt numerous aftershocks as well, several of which were fairly strong as well.

Chris
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I wonder if anyone appreciates the irony of Louisa County, Virginia being the epicenter for one of the strongest earthquakes on the east coast in the last hundred years, on August 23 --and then having one of the worst fall tornadoes six weeks later in the same county on October 12. Now Oklahoma has had the worst earthquake in recent memory, just days before SPC is expecting nearby tornadoes. Maybe chasers should set up shop in Lincoln County and just wait. There seems to be a connection... (?!?) - - - Dave Hoadley
 
Another 4.7 (initially rated) earthquake just happened in OK. What a day for people down there. I know some of my friends in SE, KS are starting to freak out after the last couple days.
 
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