The Earthquake of October 21, 1965 and Precambrian Structure in Missouri

Abstract A revised location, origin time, and hypocentral depth for the Missouri earthquake of October 21, 1965, were calculated for various crustal models. The depth is small, less than 15 km. The intensity data from the earthquake show a clear connection to the major Precambrian structure in the central part of the state. The areas of perceptibility and damage are shifted to the northwest, relative to the epicenter, along a major structural lineament. Low intensities coincide with the Tertiary and Quarternary sediments of the Mississippi embayment, to the southwest of the epicenter.