Missouri’s New Madrid Fault Had 27 Quakes then Suddenly Got Quiet

I have learned a lot about earthquakes studying the New Madrid Fault that borders Missouri for decades and I'm still barely scratching the surface. That being said, I'm a little bit mystified why there were 27 quakes since mid-April along the fault, but now it's suddenly gone quiet.

I'm not trying to raise an alarm so please don't be. I just find it interesting that there were little mini-swarms of quakes along the New Madrid Fault with many being felt in Missouri, but recently the area has been silent.

During the month of April, activity along the New Madrid Fault Zone was very typical. The largest quake during that period was a 2.8 and was reportedly felt by a handful of people. Most were tiny quakes barely registering above 1.0 in magnitude. Typical New Madrid Fault stuff. The past week has been...different.

This is the map showing quakes for the past 7 days. You're eyes aren't playing tricks on you. There have been zero quakes over a 2.0.

Normally, you'd think that no earthquakes is a good thing. I would agree sometimes, but I've always wondered about a buildup of pressure. The little quakes are actually great because that's the plate system releasing energy. When I don't see activity, I wonder if the region is about to see something more substantial. 

To be clear, I am no geologist and I'm sure the USGS experts would likely chuckle at me wondering about no New Madrid Fault activity. Let's hope they're right and I'm just paranoid. I, for one, would much prefer the typical tiny quake swarms we normally see than a life-changing event.