One of the things that has bothered me through all the MSM’s coverage of the tsunami tragedy, and this includes CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, and the local New York affiliates (I am at the parents house at the Joisey Shore), is their attempts to try and draw inflammatory pictures of what could happen to the United States in the event of a tsunami producing event, be it earthquake, meteor/comet, or even an upwelling of sea gasses.
The subduction zone in the Oregon area has show little history of producing tidal waves. Neither have the faults from California to Canada, though the fault zones in Alaska have provided tsunami’s.
Now, I am not, by any means, attempting to make light of the tragedy in the Indian Ocean, but the MSM’s need to do their homework. 2 of the greatest natural threats to the United States are Yellowstone Park and the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
Yellowstone? Yup. Most of Yellowstone National Park is in fact a "Super-volcano." It explodes every 600,000 years or so. The last big one was around 640,000 years ago. So, we are overdue. This link is very slightly hysteric, but the science is dead on, and incorporates much of what is know about Yellowstone. And, just for reference, I have seen this same type of information on the National Geographic Channel and the Discovery Channel.
Second on the list of dangers is the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Essentially, this is an area encompassing where Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee meet. This is an area know for producing magnitude 8 and higher earthquakes, as it did in 1811-1812. There were 3 magnitude 8+ earthquakes during that time. Scientists estimate a 90% chance of a magnitude 6-7 in the next 50 years. The issue is that the sediment in the central US to the east coast is hard rock, and, unlike in California, will transmit the waves much farther. Essentially, a 6-7 could be felt in Chicago (briefly), and could seriously damage St. Louis.
Something to think about.
