There is a picturesque lake in the United States called Rilfoot Lake, which appeared after the earthquake

Earthquakes can do more than damage cities and destroy homes and roads. This element has the power to radically change the landscape, including creating new lakes.

Such a case occurred in the northwestern part of Tennessee in the early 19th century. The earthquake that occurred on February 7, 1812, centered near New Madrid, Missouri, temporarily changed the course of the Mississippi River, permanently blocked the Rifle River and directed water to fill the low-lying area, forming Lake Rifle, according to NASA Earth Observatory.

This phenomenon has a scientific explanation. Rivers that flow over crustal fault lines are prone to suddenly stopping and reversing their flow when the ground shifts. Earthquake-induced river overflows or sudden changes in channel have been documented throughout human history. For example, in 2016, the Kaikoura earthquake in New Zealand actually blocked the Waiau Toa River (Clarence River) and forced it to flow in a completely new channel.

In the case of the earthquake that formed Lake Rilfoot, legend has it that aftershocks even caused the Mississippi to flow in the opposite direction for a time; however, this could have been an illusion caused by water waves rising up the river.

The aftershocks nearly destroyed the small town of New Madrid, Missouri. Eyewitnesses near the epicenter also described trees being uprooted and the ground rising, sinking and splitting. People in distant cities such as Boston, Detroit, and New Orleans reported feeling tremors.

Two centuries have passed since those events. Lake Riflefoot has become a permanent feature of the Tennessee landscape. It is a paradise for boating, fishing and wildlife watching.

Bald cypress trees grow in the swampy areas, and the stumps of the pre-flood forests are submerged in the water. The lake is surrounded by wetlands that make up a state park and a national reserve. Bald eagles and waterfowl winter in the area, and in spring and summer there are many songbirds, frogs, and other aquatic life.