Manhattan walks on the 125th street fault line

After Haiti's earthquake, many New Yorkers and other Americans are probably wondering where the next disaster is going to hit.

Although it hasn't been stressed much, there is a fault line here in our own city. It has been there since as far as we can remember and is known as the 125th Street fault line, also considered the "main street" of Harlem, a hot spot where the mid-Atlantic ridge and San Antonio fault intersect.

While it seems that our precious little island is located in an area where few or no earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis or any other catastrophic events could occur, this relieving assumption is wrong.

There have been a number of mild earthquakes that have struck our city without us even being aware of it.

The earthquakes are rated 2.0 or less, but the frequency is higher and the expectancy of within the next few years experiencing a greater magnitude on the Richter scale is even higher.

The last recorded earthquakes in New York City were in 2001, dated October 27 with a magnitude of 2.6 and January 17 with a magnitude of 2.4. Both felt in upper Manhattan, Long Island City and Astoria, Queens.

The last serious earthquake, which was recorded to have a magnitude between 4.9 and 5.5 that lasted for ten seconds was on August 10, 1884 near Coney Island. The tremor was felt down from Virginia all the way up to Maine. Chimneys fell, houses shook, and luckily there were no records of any casualties.

Many scientists believe the cause of this tremendous earthquake, along with the temperate ones we've experienced thus far are due to the City's 125th street fault line.

Columbia University Seismologists were quoted stating, "It wasn't the first moderate quake, and it won't be the last. New Yorkers should expect a 5.0 or higher earthquake centered here every 100 years," meaning anywhere within New York's five boroughs.

They are claiming that we are about 30 years overdue. If a magnitude of 5.5 or higher earthquake were to occur, we are looking at close to $40 billion worth of damages and 1,770 deaths, simply because there are more people and more building infrastructure than there were in the 1800s.

"I think we should be looking into how to deal with or prevent this from happening if possible. Everyone should be informed about this issue and have a evacuation plan," Senior Danielle Buthorn said.

A 2008-2009 study done in Columbia University's Earth Institute reports that earthquake activity near New York City is more critical than we think. 

There have been plenty of mild earthquakes the past 30 years and the more that frequent smaller clustered quakes attach to a larger mass of rock, the more of a chance of experiencing a serious earthquake in the long run.

It appears to be that sooner or later, our city is going to be hit with a pretty strong earthquake. Although 125th street is a major fault, there is evidence that there are other fault lines crossing underneath Manhattan and the Hudson River that are part of the same family. 

The U.S. Geological Survey Seismic Hazard maps, "shows New York City as facing more hazard than many other eastern U.S. areas."

One scientist, Lynn Sykes, puts it into plain and simple terms; "To understand risk, you have to multiply hazard by assets and vulnerability. When you factor that in, our risk is high."

To look on the bright side, earthquake-building codes were introduced to us in 1995. Of course our youngest buildings have been constructed with the guidance of these codes, but that leaves out all the other older buildings that have been around since before then.

It is a scary thought and it is understandable to want to take heed, but for now, all we can do is sit and wait. "I'm completely indifferent. If it happens then it happens. There is nothing we can really do about it," senior and biochemistry major John Ponessa said.