What is Active fault?
[[File:New Madrid Erdbeben.jpg|thumb|[[Woodcut]] of the [[New Madrid Earthquake]], that happened in 1811. It is the biggest earthquake in the history of the US, east of the [[Rocky Mountains]]. It is classifired as level IX (heavy shaking) on the [[Mercalli intensity scale]]. It probably had a magnitude of between 7.5 and 7.9 on the [[Richter scale]]. ]] An '''active fault''' is a [[fault (geology)|fault]] that is likely to become the source of another [[earthquake]] sometime in the future. Faults are active if there has been movement seen or evidence of seismic activity during the last 10,000 years.<ref> {{cite web| title =Active fault | work =Earthquake Glossary | publisher =USGS Earthquake Hazards Program | date = 2009 | url =https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/glossary/?term=active%20fault | access-date =2011-09-17}}</ref> Active faulting is considered to be a [[geologic hazard]]. It is related to [[earthquakes]] as a cause. == References == {{reflist}} {{sci-stub}} [[File:NMSZBig.gif|thumb|Measurements of New Madrid Seismic Zone, the zone where the earthquake struck. Thr active fault is shown in red.]] [[Category:Faults]] [[Category:Earthquakes]]