The New Madrid rift tried to split the continent - twice - and failed - twice. It's an old wound that will never really heal. And it's history is closely tied to the rocks under your new home. While it failed, the rifts along the Blue Ridge succeeded, creating basins that accumulated sediment. Later, the rifts closed, the great wedges of sediment were caught in continental collisions, and the sediments were metamorphosed.
But the New Madrid rift faults don't extend very far, so the chances of third time being the charm, and the rift cutting through to the Great Lakes is unlikely, whatever Edgar saw during one of his sessions. Even if it did, it would take a couple ten million years to accomplish. North America is splitting in two along the Rio Grande Rift, which runs through Central New Mexico up into Colorado, and that's been going on for at least 30 million years.
Off Topic » in reply to re: I gotta quit watching the History Channel
Un-zipping the continent
The whole thread (46 posts)
- I gotta quit watching the History Channel
- Saw it.
- LOL (n/t)
- Quick links for your reading pleasure:
- re: I gotta quit watching the History Channel
- No wonder I don't want a Liberal running the country.
- Saw it.