Wabash Fault holds high earthquake risk

ST. LOUIS, April 26 (UPI) -- Scientists said the Wabash Valley Fault in Illinois may pose a higher risk to St. Louis than the better-known New Madrid Fault.

The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that originated last week on the Wabash Valley Fault was about 120 miles east of St. Louis

Douglas Wiens and Michael Wysession, seismologists at Washington University, said the New Madrid Fault may have seen its day and the Wabash Fault is the new kid on the block, the university said Friday in a release.

"I think everyone's interested in the Wabash Valley Fault because a lot of the attention has been on the New Madrid Fault, but the Wabash Valley Fault could be the more dangerous one, at least for St. Louis and Illinois," said Wiens. "The strongest earthquakes in the last few years have come from the Wabash Valley Fault, which needs more investigation."

While there hasn't been a magnitude 6 earthquake in the New Madrid zone in more than 100 years, there have been three magnitude 5 or better on the Wabash Valley Fault in the past five years, Wysession said.