First of all, I am not a geologist, but rather merely an interested observer with a background in other types of science. However, if I were a geologist I wouldn’t call someone a “dipshit” just because they are asking questions. Science (true science, and not the watered down version that we are often fed) asks questions. The point is to ask questions to discover more about our world.

That being said, I have been following the North American Craton and it’s failed rift systems and how they might relate to potential future events in the New Madrid and Yellowstone for a while.

[link to www.earthscope.org]

This image shows some of the failed rift systems, one of which is located within the upper Great Lakes system.

[link to www.google.com]


"The Midcontinent Rift, also known as the Keweenawan Rift, is a 1,200 mile-long, 20-40 mile wide (Anderson) rift formation that occurred between 1.0 and 1.1 billion years ago (Ga). The rift runs through Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. In addition to the expanse of the rift itself, adjacent basins are filled with over 3,500 cubic miles of sedimentary rocks that are derived from geomorphic processes associated with the rift. The mechanisms by which the rift opened and closed are not known for sure, but it has been hypothesized that both crustal extension and later, compression, is correlated with the formation and breakup of a large supercontinent called Rodinia (Levin, 2005).”
(GLP cut and past rules respected)
[link to academic.emporia.edu]
[link to www.ldeo.columbia.edu]

Now, I am not saying that the events that you are witnessing are related to this system, but there seems to be much that geologists admittedly do not know about this failed rift system. Your observations at least merit an informed and civil discussion. I have become so tired of the rudeness and childish behavior on GLP that I have been scarce here, but for some reason I felt a need to respond to this. Real science is about questions, keep asking questions!!! My 2 cents anyway.