Here is the Hidden Sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12)

Here are the hidden earthquake zones you don’t know about

By Paula Froelich

Let’s get ready to (potentially) rumble.

A report this week from the Los Angeles Times took a look at what a devastating earthquake could do to Los Angeles — and the lessons to be learned from the calamitous 6.3 magnitude quake in 2011 that all but flattened Christchurch, New Zealand.

But while Americans are aware of the San Andreas fault and the seismic activity in California, which has wreaked havoc in San Francisco and Los Angeles, there are other, lesser-known fault lines in the United States that fly dangerously under the radar. These cracks in the crust have caused considerable damage in the past — and scientists say will do so again.

Virginia Seismic Zone

Richmond, VirginiaShutterstock

In 2011, New Yorkers were jolted by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the East Coast from New Hampshire all the way down through Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The quake’s epicenter was in Mineral, Virginia, about 90 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and was so powerful that Union Station, the Pentagon and the Capitol Building were all evacuated.

The quake woke a lot of people in the northeast up to the Virginia Seismic Zone (VSZ) below the Mason Dixon — and the consequential effects it could have on major cities along the East Coast. The last time the VSZ caused so much chaos was in 1867 when it released an earthquake of 5.6-magnitude — the strongest in Virginia’s history.

Ramapo Fault Zone

It’s not just the Virginia Seismic Zone New Yorkers have to worry about. Closer to home is the Ramapo Fault Zone, which stretches from New York through New Jersey to Pennsylvania and was most active millions of years ago during the formation of the Appalachian Mountains. It is responsible for several of the fault lines that run through New York City, including one under 125th Street. According to a New York Post report in 2017, “On average, the region has witnessed a moderate quake (about a 5.0 on the Richter scale) every hundred years. The last one was in 1884. Seismologists say we can expect the next one any day now.” Fun times!

The New Madrid Seismic Zone

This 150 mile-long series of faults stretches under five states: Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, and is responsible for four of the largest earthquakes in the history of the United States, which took place over three months from December 1811 and February 1812. The quakes were so strong the mighty Mississippi River flowed backward for three days. Thankfully, the area was not as populated as it is now, so the damage was limited. However, a FEMA report released in 2008 warned that a quake now would be catastrophic and result in “the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States.”

The Northern Sangre de Cristo Fault

Downtown Trinidad, Colorado Shutterstock

In 2011, a magnitude 5.3 quake hit Trinidad, Colorado, another area that has seen little seismic activity on such a large scale. According to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, The Sangre de Cristo Fault, which lies at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains along the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, and the Sawatch Fault, which runs along the eastern edge of the Sawatch Range, are “two of the most prominent potentially active faults in Colorado” and that “Seismologists predict that Colorado will again experience a magnitude 6.5 earthquake at some unknown point in the future.”

The Cascadia Subduction Zone

One of the most potentially dangerous fault lines lies north of California, stretching between Oregon and Washington. Major cities like Portland, Seattle and Vancouver lie along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which scientists say has the capability of a 9.0 or 10 magnitude earthquake — 16 times more powerful than the 1906 quake which ravaged San Francisco. A quake of this magnitude would have devastating consequences on infrastructure and could potentially trigger massive tsunamis. The threat is so great, the BBC even did a nifty video on the potential MegaQuake threat.