Comment Re:Not a big deal (Score 1) 120
Industrial accidents cause local effects and the energy is dissipated very quickly as the total energy is (usually) very small when compared to a seismic event.
However, seismic activity on the New Madrid fault line is a big deal because it is know for creating very high magnitude events >8.0 which in a seismically un-prepared area such as the central US, will be extremely devasting. As a structural engineer, I know that most of the buildings are not anywhere near the level they need to be at for seismic loads. Hopefully, a small event like this will raise enough public awareness that people will take an interest in retrofitting buildings with the necessary equipment (bracing, dampers, etc.) rather than look at the magnitude and say, "Not a big deal."
However, seismic activity on the New Madrid fault line is a big deal because it is know for creating very high magnitude events >8.0 which in a seismically un-prepared area such as the central US, will be extremely devasting. As a structural engineer, I know that most of the buildings are not anywhere near the level they need to be at for seismic loads. Hopefully, a small event like this will raise enough public awareness that people will take an interest in retrofitting buildings with the necessary equipment (bracing, dampers, etc.) rather than look at the magnitude and say, "Not a big deal."
