Editing New Madrid, Missouri (section)

=== Seismic zone ===
{{See also|New Madrid Seismic Zone}}
The city is located in a web of cracks at the center of the North American Plate dating from the [[Rodinian]]. New Madrid was the epicenter of the powerful 3-month 2,000-earthquake [[1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes]]. In 2003, the [[United States Geological Survey|U.S. Geological Survey]] predicted that another major earthquake will happen in New Madrid within the next 50 years,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Kiona N. |title=The New Madrid Earthquake Struck 206 Years Ago |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kionasmith/2018/02/07/the-new-madrid-earthquake-struck-206-years-ago/ |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> a theory that was rejected by the geophysicist [[Seth Stein]] in his 2010 book ''Disaster deferred: how new science is changing our view of earthquake hazards in the Midwest''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Pellissier |first=Pauline |date=2012-02-27 |title="The big one" : la mystérieuse faille sismique de New Madrid, Missouri |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2012/02/27/the-big-one-la-mysterieuse-faille-de-new-madrid-missouri_1647820_3210.html |access-date=2024-09-25 |language=fr}}</ref>

The city was hit by an earthquake on 28 February 2012 at 3:58&nbsp;a.m. CST, measuring 4.0.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Muskal |first=Michael |date=2012-02-21 |title=New Madrid zone earthquake felt in Missouri, 8 other states |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2012-feb-21-la-na-nn-missouri-earthquake-20120221-story.html |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> However, the tremors created a media scare as the web made it easy for everyone to search the city's seismic history, and discover the 1811-1812 earthquakes and the city's sensitive seismic situation.<ref name=":0" />