Earthquakes Earthquakes are very deadly.
Fault zones are plates in the earth that slide and collide.
When they collide they form earthquakes. The New Madrid fault zone can have earthquakes that measure 8.0 or higher on the Richter Scale. An earthquake that measures an 8.0 on the Richter Scale means that you can see waves on the ground and objects are hurled into the air. The great series of earthquakes that occurred along the New Madrid fault zone in 1811 and 1812 were measured from 7.8 to 8.2 on the Richter Scale. It could be felt all over the United States and even off the Pacific coast.