ELEMENTS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND SEISMIC HAZARD IN THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES

Three maps of the central third of the conterminous United States show selected elements of seismic hazard and societal infrastructure (plates 1-3, in pocket). Hazard elements shown are locations of historical damaging earthquakes, main areas underlain by geologic units that could liquify or amplify ground shaking, and estimated isoseismals from a surface-wave-magnitude 7.6 earthquake, which is hypothesized to occur anywhere in the New Madrid seismic zone of southeast Missouri and adjacent states. Infrastructure elements shown are large urban areas; limited access highways; railroads; main pipelines carrying crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas; large dams; and nuclear power plants and fuel-cycle facilities. Spatial relations shown on the map and results obtained by others suggest that the types of economic impacts from large earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone might vary with distance from the zone. The largest contributions to total losses in and near the seismic zone might come from damage to the electric power supply and highway systems. However, other large losses might occur far from the seismic zone because of damage to natural gas pipelines that supply the populous Upper Midwest and Northeast.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1538-M.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Geological Survey

  Federal Center, Building 810, Box 25425
  Denver, CO  United States  80225
• Authors:
  • Wheeler, R L
  • Rhea, S
  • Tarr, A C
• Publication Date: 1994

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 21 p.
• Serial:
  • INVESTIGATIONS OF THE NEW MADRID SEISMIC ZONE
  • Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crude oil; Dams; Earthquakes; Economic impacts; Electric power supply; Expressways; Facilities; Hazards; Infrastructure; Natural gas; Natural gas pipelines; Nuclear power plants; Petroleum products; Pipelines; Railroads; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fuel cycle; Seismic hazards
• Geographic Terms: Central United States
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Pipelines; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00724562
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 1538-M
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 13 1996 12:00AM