Earthquakes are happening all the time all over the world. What about in the US, though? We’re no exception. Many of the earthquakes in the United States you probably expect, but there are some that may come as a surprise.
So where do earthquakes occur in the US? The answer is all over. Undoubtedly you know that southern California is plagued by earthquakes. What you might not know is that Alaska is also a hotspot for seismic activity. Earthquakes are not unheard of across all parts of the country. Those at highest risk for major earthquakes are people living along almost the entire western coast, south-eastern Alaska, much of California, Hawaii, and a spot right in the middle around Missouri and Arkansas.
How come you never hear about all these earthquakes? Most are so small that barely anyone feels them. These occur every day all over the country and can be tracked in real time through the USGS. The frequency of these small earthquakes can be expected around the major fault lines in the US. News making earthquakes are rarer, which is good for the people living in high risk areas.
The largest US earthquakes have mostly occurred in Alaska, which puts them in areas of low population density so the mortality rate and amount of destruction is low. The ones we hear about the most are those that occur in California. Since it has such a large population the threat of destruction and deaths climbs. So far the US has been lucky in that our earthquakes have not had the massive death tolls often found in other parts of the world.
