I remember reading about a massive earthquake the resulted in most of the southern Mississippi/Missouri river basin sinking far enough to let water from the Gulf fill the area and create cliffs along the Rockies front range. I'm pretty sure it was on here, but won't swear to it. Any help appreciated.
Well, start looking into anything that might mention the New Madras Fault.
That is most likely what would have triggered such an earthquake.
Well, start looking into anything that might mention the New Madras Fault.
The closest match I found was "new Madras shirt", which I suspect is not quite the same...
AmigaClone is correct - New Madrid fault is the one along the Mississippi River around AR/MO/MS/TN and eventually extending up into eastern KY and TN.
But, as much as even more 8.0 or greater quakes would shake and rattle the surrounding terrain and destroy homes and infrastructure, it wouldn't cause the massive slippage required to drop the surface terrain sufficiently (est 2-4000 ft) to extend the Gulf of Mexico northward to the Southern Rockies ...
New Madras Fault.
That is most likely what would have triggered such an earthquake
I'm pretty sure a lot of earthquakes in toilets were created by newly made Madras faults causing people to (s)curry to safety.
I don't think so. In the story I'm looking for the protagonists were on the Rockies side of the expanded Gulf. This story didn't have any of the subsistence and flooding. But still an enjoyable read, as most of his stories are.
Definitely not what the OP is looking for, but relevant: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/07/giant-tsunami-dino-killing-asteroid-impact-revealed-fossilized-megaripples. The waves got as far as what is now North Dakota.
As far as I know, the last New Madrid (Caribbean Plate and the Gonâve Microplate) fault sank the capital city of Jamaica, Kingston, in 1692. It was never recovered. But other than that one instance, the New Madrid has never triggered much damage at all.
Note: Sorry, I'd previously heard it was the New Madrid fault, but double-checking reveals it was actually the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault zone.
I'm not sure of the date, either early 1800's of late 1700's, but an earthquake took place in the New Madrid MO area that caused the bells to ring in Boston. The event was foretold by Pontiac which started the count down to his rebellion. I will look more in my files.
There were four within two months (one was an aftershock) and the last one rang Boston's bells.
https://strangesounds.org/2020/08/the-new-madrid-fault-may-take-out-150-miles-of-the-midwest.html, the first one was in mid December 1811. There is more - including the prophecy - at https://strangesounds.org/2019/07/new-madrid-earthquakes-strange-phenomena-video.html.
There's a dead tree post-earthquake novel titled Shudderchild by Warren Norwood that might fit. It's been a very long time (late 80s…) since I read the book, so I don't know if the New Madrid area sank enough to extend the Gulf north or not…
There was a fiction book called either 8.0 or 8.4 that I believe dealt with a New-Madrid fault. It was a paperback, I don't recall ever seeing it online although I'm sure it's available online in some form. The story did not extend the effects to Colorado, though. I can't recall any story like the one described in the original post, but if anyone finds it, I'd love to read it.
There was a fiction book called either 8.0 or 8.4
It's 8.4. It's available from Amazon in hard cover, mass market paperback and kindle.
I've read it.
I don't recall anything like what the OP mentions in the book, but it does spend a lot of time on the fact that seismic waves will travel farther and retain energy longer in the mid-west than in the California earthquake zone. An 8.4 at New Madrid could cause major structural damage to high rise buildings as far away as Chicago(a little over 400 miles).
IIRC: The earthquake in the book causes a change in the course of the Mississippi River.
Not completely what was described, but "Trial by Fire" by Blackrandi was a good post volcano eruption and earthquake survival story.
There is a story about a guy in New York who ends up with a bunch of female students that end up in an earthquake near the Rockies. I can't remember the name though. He has another story that feels like this one is based on. One thing I remember is there is a dance troop that has been victimized into becoming High School strippers.
Though not the story you're thinking of, that reminded me of 'Girl Scout Troop Master' by Wyden Long ;-)
AJ
something else I remember about my story, they bought a portable stripper pole, and there was an elevator down to the forgotten subway/railway in their basement
Business as Unusual https://storiesonline.net/s/15033/business-as-unusual
was the initial story. The rest seems to be in the Time Storm Universe from Autofocus https://storiesonline.net/universe/821/time-storm-tales Not sure which one, and I may have the order mixed up. Both stories mention Earthquakes. but only my house mentions the Rockies
