Daily Dunklin Democrat: Local News: Minor quakes on Wabash, New Madrid Faults

Parts of the region were shaken overnight as another earthquake rumbled along the Wasbah fault zone. The minor earthquake measured 3.1 on the Richter scale according to the U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center.

The quake occurred at 9:58 p.m. Thursday and was centered five miles northwest of Mount Carmel, at a depth of six miles.

Earlier this month, areas along the New Madrid Fault line have had a few minor rumbles, recorded by the New Madrid Fault Seismic Network.

Though there haven't been any earthquakes recently that should send residents and officials into panic mode, there have been several minor quakes that most people do not even know about.

A preliminary report from the Southeast Seismic Network indicates that a small 1.6 earthquake was recorded on July, 11, 2008, near New Madrid, Mo. Shortly after, a quake registering 1.5 on the Richter scale was reported to have occurred near Vonore, Tenn., which appears to be a pretty active area, according to the network report on recent earthquakes.

Just six days prior, Saturday, July 5, 2008, a small 2.0 quake occurred four miles east of Madisonville, Tenn. This quake reached areas including, Vonore, Tellico Plains and Knoxville, Tenn. as well.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, July 10, 2008, a small earthquake with a magnitude of 1.6 on the Richter scale occurred approximately five miles northwest of Tiptonvville, Tenn.

Although a 1.6 magnitude earthquake would not be anything to really worry about, the consistent seismic activity that has been occurring on a daily basis may be.

On Sunday, July 6, 2008, the New Madrid Seismic Network Center recorded an earthquake with a magnitude of 1.3, centered near the Ridgley, Tenn. area. This quake's seismic activity was also picked up near the cities of Caruthersville, Mo., Jackson and Dyersburg, Tenn. as well.

Some reports indicate that the small earthquakes are releasing pressure along the New Madrid Fault Line, which is needed to prevent "the big one," while others report that a lot of seismic activity is not such a good thing, meaning that tremors could be leading up to "the big one."

One thing is for certain though, anything is possible and just like the New Madrid Fault earthquakes that occurred in the winter of 1811 and 1812, things can change in a split second.