New Maps Reveal Evansville’s Earthquake Risk

The U.S. Geological Survey is completing maps that will indicate earthquake hazards in the Evansville area.

Geophysicist Oliver Boyd tells the Evansville Courier & Press that he hopes the final maps will be ready next June. The agency will held a public presentation on the maps at the Evansville Central Library this week.

The maps are based on information collected by using a ground-penetrating sensor. They show areas where the soil is saturated with groundwater and may be liquefied by an earthquake. Those areas may be less likely to support large structures.

The maps also will show areas that are at risk from the shaking of the ground. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the Midwest on April 18, 2008, causing only minor damage.