Suddenly 30 Missouri Quakes in 30 Days + 2 Weird Ones in Illinois

I pay attention to earthquakes in Missouri and also Illinois. We live near two very active seismic zones which are both capable of major quakes. That's why it got my attention when I did some digging and learned there have been nearly 30 Missouri earthquakes in the past 30 days plus a couple of strange ones in Illinois.

This is the kind of earthquake trend you can miss if you don't specifically do the research to find it. The USGS makes available just about any earthquake information you want if you know where to look. After seeing more activity along the New Madrid and Wabash Valley fault zones over the past couple of days, I decided to query the USGS database to see what's been happening over the last month. The short answer? A lot. Here's what the past 30 days looks like in Missouri and Illinois.

These aren't all just tiny quakes either. As you can see via the USGS list of quakes on the map, many have been large enough to be felt.

Along with the numerous Missouri earthquakes thanks to the New Madrid Fault are two quakes in Illinois including a 2.3 magnitude shaker near Woodlawn, Illinois today (April 19) and a 2.8 magnitude quake late in March near Germantown, Illinois. I'm curious if the Illinois quakes are a result of movement along the Wabash Valley Fault system.

It's worth noting that both the New Madrid Fault and Wabash Valley Fault systems are capable of magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes. That's why it's prudent to pay attention to earthquake activity in Missouri and Illinois. You just never know when one or both of these faults is going to ruin everyone's day.