On Shaky Ground: The New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812

by Norma Hayes Bagnall

Although most Americans associate earthquakes with California, the tremors that shook the Mississippi valley in southeast Missouri from December 16, 1811, through February 7, 1812, are among the most violent quakes to hit the North American continent in recorded history. Collectively known as the New Madrid earthquakes, these quakes affected more than 1 million square miles. By comparison, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake affected only 60,000 square...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826210546
• ISBN13: 9780826210548
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: University of Missouri Press
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 8 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 5

Customer Reviews

On Shaky Ground-A review

This book is well-written and organized. It was a very enjoyable read. The author researched the subject well and the reader can get a feel of what it must have been like to suffer in this enormous earthquake. This book is a history of the largest earthquake in the history of the U.S. The local residents gave the New Madrid Historical Society descriptions of what they experienced. I understand because my great-great grandparents were living near the fault in Tennessee and experienced the horrors of this disaster. Their stories have been handed down for generations. My grandmother told me our families' stories about this horrific experience. When this fault becomes active again the cities of Memphis all the way to St. Louis will be in terrible danger. Sara Howard, Author of "Something Funny Happened on The Way to The Moon" and "The Biggest Explosions in The Universe".

The spectacular New Madrid Earthquake

This book was very informative about the New Madrid Earthquake. It had great detail about the earthquake and is a great resource for term papers. I would highly recommend this book to students who are doing papers for Earthscience courses with there main interest of the New Madrid Earthquake.