Indiana geology experts say the state isn’t immune to earthquakes due to southwestern Indiana’s position over the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone.
The Wabash Valley zone bumps up against the South Central Illinois and New Madrid seismic zones. The New Madrid zone was the site of severe quakes in 1811 and 1812.
Walter Gray, educational outreach coordinator with the Indiana Geological Survey, says Wabash Valley has seen fewer earthquakes since the New Madrid temblors, but that they’ve been more energetic.
In 2008, a magnitude-5.4 earthquake struck northwest of Evansville. A magnitude-4.6 quake happened in 2002 in Posey County near Evansville.
Gray will give demonstrations using an earthquake simulator on Wednesday at Indiana State University.