Humboldt Fault

The Humboldt Fault or Humboldt Fault Zone, is a normal fault or series of faults, that extends from Nebraska southwestwardly through most of Kansas.^[1]

Kansas is not particularly earthquake prone, ranking 45th out of 50 states by damage caused.^[2] However, the north-central part of the state, particularly Riley and Pottawatomie counties, is the most prone to earthquakes. The Humboldt Fault had the largest earthquake in Kansas history with the 1867 Manhattan, Kansas earthquake. It happened near the town of Wamego and was estimated at 5.5 on the Richter scale. Reportedly it was felt as far away as Dubuque, Iowa.^[2]

References

^ from the Kansas Geological Survey (at the University of Kansas) site, oil geology page, accessed on December 16, 2006
^ ^a ^b KGS cite of Federal Emergency Management Agency report, accessed on December 16, 2006

Major seismically active faults of North America

North America
(crosses national borders)

Aleutian Trench (US–RU)
Basin and Range Province (US–MX)
Canadian Arctic Rift System (CA–GL)
Cascadia subduction zone (US–CA)
Clarendon-Linden fault system (US–CA)
Denali Fault (US–CA)
Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province (CA–US)
Puget Sound faults (US–CA)
Rio Grande rift (US–MX)
San Andreas Fault (US–MX)
Southern Great Lakes Seismic Zone (US–CA)
Tintina Fault (US–CA)

Canada

United States

Washington and Oregon	Brothers Fault Zone Olympic–Wallowa Lineament Puget Sound (Seattle Fault, Tacoma Fault) Walker Lane
California	Calaveras Fault Garlock Fault Hayward Fault Zone Mendocino Fracture Zone Newport–Inglewood Fault Puente Hills Fault Rose Canyon Fault San Jacinto Fault Zone (Elsinore Fault Zone)
Great Basin	Independence Valley fault system Moab Fault Teton Fault Wasatch Fault
Great Plains	Central Oklahoma Fault Zone Humboldt Fault Long Point–Eureka Heights fault system Meers Fault Nemaha Fault Zone Wilzetta Fault
Midwest	Marianna Fault New Madrid Seismic Zone Sandwich Fault Zone Wabash Valley Seismic Zone
Appalachian Mountains and Atlantic Coast	Aiken–Augusta Fault Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone Middleton Place–Summerville Seismic Zone (Woodstock Fault) Northern Appalachians Seismic Zone Ramapo Fault Virginia Seismic Zone