Why Missouri Is Far More Geologically Dangerous Than Most Americans Realize

Missouri looks quiet on the surface, but beneath it are several completely different hazard systems.

In the Bootheel, the New Madrid Seismic Zone follows an ancient failed rift buried beneath thick Mississippi River sediments. Small earthquakes happen regularly, while loose, water-saturated ground can amplify shaking and turn farmland into liquefied sediment during larger events.

Farther north and west, Missouri hides more than 16,000 documented sinkholes, thousands of caves and springs, and enormous underground karst networks capable of moving water for tens of miles beneath the Ozarks. Old mining districts add another layer of hidden voids, subsidence and groundwater contamination.

In this DiscoverTube documentary, we explore the earthquakes, sinkholes, underground rivers, abandoned mines and hidden geological structures that make Missouri far more active beneath the surface than it appears.

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