Offset along faults may be measured in inches to thousands of feet. 3 quake occurred near Smiths Grove. Surface traces of the faults in the soft alluvium erode quickly or may be rapidly covered by new deposits thereby hiding evidence of earlier earthquakes locations. gneiss, two-feldspar granite, medium-grade metamorphic rock, and anorthosite, while west of the front Yes, there have been 10. A report this week from theLos Angeles Times took a look at what a devastating earthquake could do to Los Angeles and the lessons to be learned from the calamitous 6.3 magnitude quake in 2011 that all but flattened Christchurch, New Zealand. Embayment across a gentle, northwest-trending arch (Heyl and others, 1965; Pinckney, 1976; Trace and sedimentation, the Reelfoot basin, in roughly the same position, and Cressman (1973, p. 57) interpreted County geology. was a shoal in late Middle and early Late Ordovician time. There are numerous faults in Kentucky. The downbow in western Kentucky is part of the Illinois (also called Eastern Interior) Basin, which extends into Illinois and Indiana. The Rough Creek fault zone is made up of numerous high The Versailles cryptoexplosive structure was discovered during the cooperative mapping project and has include the Michigan basin as well. section B-B' on sheet I of the geologic map). In areas overlying limestone, septic system leaks can occur through fractures in the limestone, contaminating groundwater. According to aNew York Postreport in 2017, On average, the region has witnessed a moderate quake (about a 5.0 on the Richter scale) every hundred years. amphibolites, and mafic granulites are found in the vicinity of highs. central area, and a downdropped peripheral belt. The EFZ runs east-west through the far western part of the state and into Tennessee, while the CU runs through eastern and southeastern Kentucky. Caldwell County - Princeton. Parts of Kentucky may be profoundly affected by seismicity in the well-known New Madrid seismic zone of Most polygon layers have some transparency set (e.g. All of these fault lines have the potential to produce earthquake activity, though the greatest threat is to the NMFZ. in western Kentucky (the Rough Creek graben of Soderberg and Keller (1981) and the Mississippi from the geologic quadrangle mapping. The death toll likely would have been much higher if the quake had lasted any longer. Near the end of the Paleozoic era (around 230 million years ago), when the Appalachian Mountains were being uplifted, a large block of the Earth's crust was pushed up and over the area that is now southeastern Kentucky. 1979, p. F23) (see cross section G'-G"). These structures are described by the following categories: The block diagram shown above, represents a slice through Kentucky, as if a giant knife had cut the State to a depth of 3,000 feet. Seismologists say we can expect the next one any day now. Fun times! granites, metasediments, and felsic volcanics are associated with gravity lows, while mafic volcanics, Englund and Roen (1963) suggested a meteor-impact origin for the structure on the basis of the presence of When strata moves along a fault an earthquake occurs. It has produced magnitude 8 to 8. KGS Home > Geology of Kentucky Creek but has fewer and smaller faults; fault scarps along this system exposed by strip mining of the coal The US Geological Survey estimates that the likelihood of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6 or greater in Kentucky is 0. document.write(d.getFullYear()); http://kgs.uky.edu/kgsweb/download/wrs/MADISON.pdf, Water well information is available at: http://wris.state.ky.us/website/kgs/viewer.htm. Engineering design principles are employed in roadways and bridges to prepare for such situations. 15). document.write(thisYr); In western Kentucky, several mines have ramped across faults to completely different coal seams on the other side of the fault. Click the map to show data near to the point you clicked. Major changes in a coals apparent elevation in core and old mine maps provide hints of possible faulting and offset (although sometimes errors in underground mine-map elevations can lead to apparent offsets between mines, which are not real). According to the United States Geological Survey, since 1776 there have been around 235 earthquakes that have caused some level of damage in Kentucky. The hard dolomite of the Boyle formation was undercut by weathering of the softer shale of the Crab Orchard Formation, which caused the dolomite to fracture and fall. 3) were developed from a complicated process that started with a group of engineers, seismologists, and others using the national seismic hazard maps developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and engineering science. Through millions of years, strata have gradually dropped downward above the rift, along the southern edge of the Rough Creek faults and the northern edge of the Pennyroyal Faults. Map of active US fault lines in the USA by USGS. 4 coal (Greb and others, 2001) and Springfield (W. Ky. No. California experiences thousands of earthquakes each year, many of which cause moderate to significant damage. A description of meteor impact sites and other interesting features. mi. Modifications to the landscape require careful planning to mitigate negative impacts. 02% in any given year. 0. northwestward over Pennsylvanian rocks with a total displacement of about 7.5 mi (Rice, Sable, and others, } Lexington (sheet 2 of the geologic map), near the axis of the Cincinnati arch (fig. they postulate large-scale strike-slip displacement in basement rocks under the Appalachian basin, perhaps The fault passes through Winston, Blount, Cullman, and Marshall counties, as well as portions of Madison, Jackson and Dekalb counties, before continuing into northern Mississippi. Contains faults, geologic units, and geologic contacts. We obtained all three digitized sets of fault locations. Below the sedimentary rocks are igneous and metamorphic rocks. 198 earthquakes in the past 365 days. Hawaii sits atop the Ring of Fire and experiences around 900 earthquakes each year. var d = new Date(); Left: All is well in this newly built home until water from percolation, drains, lawn sprinklers, leaking sewers, or water mains soaks swelling soil beneath the foundation. In recent years, the risk of earthquakes in the C&E Tennessee seismic zone has increased due to the numerous chemical reactions, and the presence of active faults in the region. 0000003418 00000 n dome (Lexington dome of some authors), a culmination of the arch in central Kentucky; the Cumberland The most powerful earthquake to be ever recorded was a 9. These Kentucky geologic map data A GIS database of geologic units and structural features in Kentucky, with lithology, age, data structure, and format written and arranged just like the other states. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In addition, Keller and others (1982) Because movement of the earths crust has occurred along the fault plane, rocks in the roof and floor may be highly fractured and sheared near the fault, which can weaken roof strata along the fault, leading to potential roof falls. Specifically, the region of Kentucky is in the Central and Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, which is classified as a high hazard by the United States Geological Survey. Although some reports indicate an Early This is called a fault. Valley syncline (Krause and Treworgy, 1979). Use this service to convert a delimited text file of coordinate values (guidelines given on the page) to a choice of 14 different coordinate values. Two fault zones split from the Lexington Fault Zone eastward into the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field (part of the Appalachian Basin). The New Madrid earthquakes of the winter of 1811-1812 were the largest in the history of the United States. Campbell County - Alexandria. From AIPG (1993). New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), region of poorly understood, deep-seated faults in Earth's crust that zigzag southwest-northeast through Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky, U.S. 14), and then after some distance, crossed another fault. The origin of the Muldraugh dome is uncertain. Carroll County - Carrollton. 3 earthquakes in the past 7 days. Contact the Kentucky Division of Water, 14 Reilly Road, Frankfort, KY 40601, telephone: 502-564-3410. Geological Survey OF-89-0106, Plate 11, 151 p. Carey, D.I., and Stickney, J.F., 2001, Ground-water resources of Madison County, Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey, Open-file Report OF-01-73, 30 p. Blue Grass Area Development District, 2003. For information on obtaining Kentucky Geological Survey maps and publications call: Public Information Center 859.257.3896. Cumberland Plateau of Kentucky and Tennessee. Which 6 states are most at risk for these earthquakes? Purchase and extends southwestward into Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee, suggest that it is a fault Definition and formation: Faults are breaks in the earths crust across which movement has occurred. Turn off the KY basemaps layers to display these ESRI basemaps. Earthquakes that occur in the zone can have a significant impact on the region, primarily due to the regions large population and aging infrastructure. Slickensides are common and tend to parallel the direction of movement along the fault. 11) and continue mining. Usually, movements along faults are not great at any one time. The NMFZ is the most significant of these lines, running west-south through the western part of the state, from the Illinois border through Paducah and extending along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to the west. Yes, Ky has had a major earthquake in the past. Legend Issues: Some legend items may not print in the layout. Nelson (1981, 1983) provided examples of mining adjacent to and through faults in southern Illinois. Faults represent breaks in the Earth's crust. Right: With time, expanding soils exert several tons per square foot of pressure on the foundation and shallow pilings. 16). J8T< B%3 F>YM^S=d0BqeCCu &8E2AYx`LR {]T)|x% ;". The general configuration of the basin is shown by a contour map of the base of the Quadrangle Harris (1978) combined the Rome trough with There, the Devonian (red on the section) and Mississippian (light blue on the section) strata appear to split upward on the eastern (right) side of the diagram. It was the first major earthquake in California since the 6. View the KGS World Wide Web site at: www.uky.edu/kgs. States located along the Madrid Fault Line include Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. This structure is not An uplifting experience that will not be appreciated! 133 0 obj <> endobj Some seismologists believe that the maximum magnitude for a quake is 9. Kentucky is far enough inland that it does not border any part of the North American Plate. suggesting a "crypto-volcanic" nature. Virginia (Dever and others, 1977). 15). Of the three structure, about midway between Louisville and Lexington (sheet 2), is 14,000 ft in diameter. by the Kentucky Geological Survey, Cincinnati arch (fig. In essence, these faults acted as a hinge line that cracked and broke when the Appalachian Basin was subsiding. 15), rose at the close of Early Ordovician time. This area, mostly on sheet 3 of the geologic map, forms a part This map courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) shows the major earthquake hazard areas within the United States based on fault lines. 9) coal (Greb and Williams, 2000). (1982) points out that the New Madrid earthquakes were characterized by a particularly large "felt area" and A septic system is installed for a public facility near Berea. been described by Black (1964). The last one was in 1884. by the Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky. Buschbach and Atherton (1979) suggest that Heavy equipment is used to clean up a rock fall between Richmond and Irvine on Highway 52. Roof support: Slickensides and fractures near faults can cause adverse roof conditions, and roofs may require supplemental support, as discussed for fractures. Mapped faults provide an obvious location and orientation that can be projected in advance of mining. On December 16, 1811, and January 23 and February 7, 1812, a series of three earthquakesthe largest in recorded American history east of the Rocky Mountainsoccurred near the frontier town of New Madrid, Missouri. stratigraphy or sedimentation of the Ordovician rocks that can be related to the arch (Cressman, 1973, p. 8; [Click on image to see a larger version in a new window. through recorded history. Rock excavation may be required in areas with shallow soil (excavation was not required here). NEXT||PREVIOUS||TABLE OF CONTENTS. The quake was felt widely throughout the state and even as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the largest tremor felt in the state since 2003. Kentucky to a terminus near Paintsville (sheet 3 of the geologic map); the southern block is displaced Cryptoexplosive structures: J, Jeptha Knob; MO, Middlesboro; MU, Muldraugh dome; V, Versailles. In the end, some 3,000 to 5,000 square miles (7,800 to 13,000 square km) were visibly scarred with the effects. 1 on the Richter scale. indicating growth faulting with a total throw at the top of the Precambrian of 5,000 ft along the northern Many surface-fault traces are mapped on 7.5-minute geologic quadrangle maps for Kentucky, and can be viewed online on the digital geologic map information service. An earthen dam was constructed to contain Lake Reba in Richmond. Late Paleozoic (Alleghenian) thrusting in southeasternmost inclusion of the Cumberland thrust sheet of southeasternmost Kentucky in the fold-and-thrust province. Kentucky 1:24,000 Geologic Map Data. (Cressman, 1981, p. 14). *0 ! The Appalachian basin in Kentucky contains several major structural features: the Kentucky River and McKeown gentle dome culminates near the intersection of the Lexington and Kentucky River fault systems (fig. In Kentucky, the fault line passes through the western part of the state, extending from the city of Paducah to the states border with Tennessee. Most polygon layers have some transparency set (e.g. Located in far Western Kentucky is one of our most popular outdoor areas: Land Between The Lakes (LBL). Illustration prepared by Paul D. Lowman Jr., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. gravity high, which passes north-south through east-central Kentucky. The Versailles structure is about 10 mi west of fields indicate dip-slip movement (Palmer, 1969). However, a FEMA report released in 2008 warned that a quake now would be catastrophic and result in the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States., In 2011, a magnitude 5.3 quake hit Trinidad, Colorado, another area that has seen little seismic activity on such a large scale. The intensity of the largest of the three main shocks has been given as XII, and the body-wave August 1, 2012 characterized at the surface by concentric and radial faults, an uplifted, brecciated, and partly dolomitized Historically, strong earthquakes are uncommon in Kentucky, and the frequent tremors are too small to be felt by humans. An expression (above) of the Kentucky River Fault occurring in limestone north of Clays Ferry bridge on I-75, which continues under the bridge itself (below). The most dramatic fault shown in the block diagram is the Pine Mountain thrust fault, which occurs in southeasternmost Kentucky. The. It also covers a part of West Tennessee, near Reelfoot Lake, extending southeast into Dyersburg. The fault also passes through Ballard, McCracken, Livingston, and Marshall counties before it reaches its terminus at the Tennessee border. Ervin and McGinnis (1975) suggested, largely on the Cincinnati arch.--The Cincinnati arch, a prominent regional uplift in the eastern midcontinent, extends from does not extend westward of the Lexington fault zone. # / ) ) 0 $! and especially in western Kentucky. Stresses exerted by swelling soils have caused this block wall surrounding a condominium complex (not in Madison County) to tilt and break. The Rough Creek fault system (Rough Creek-Shawneetown of some authors) crosses the southern end of Ages range The fault shown cutting the Cincinnati Arch in the block diagram is part of the Lexington Fault Zone. The boundary between these two structural provinces, Click the section headings to expand or collapse reports. 5 earthquake, the resulting tsunami impacted countries thousands of miles away, devastating communities and taking even more lives. These fractures can also contribute to roadway failure. Faulting Magnitude 5.2. Dams should be constructed of compacted clayey soils at slopes flatter than 3 units horizontal to 1 unit vertical. That is because the strata on the left side of the photo have moved downward relative to the strata on the right side of the photo. Planning and mitigation: Geologic maps of the mined area should be examined prior to mining to see if any surface or subsurface faults occur in the mined area. Ponds constructed in dry weather are more apt to leak than ponds constructed in wet weather. 1 earthquake, which caused some damage to homes and businesses in the area. In 1811-1812, three earthquakes measuring between 7-8 (out of the standard magnitude scale of 1.0-10.0) in magnitude originated from this fault. 0000000016 00000 n No, Pine Mountain in Kentucky is not a fault line. The time of formation of the Cincinnati arch in central Kentucky has recently been discussed by McDowell 19 earthquakes in the past 30 days. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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In seismic exploration, energy waves are directed into the ground and are reflected by the different grouping of rocks back up to the surface and recorded. From AIPG (1993). The fault line, located in the Midwest region of the United States, is responsible for a higher risk of damaging earthquakes. Dataset Size: 0 bytes. A detail of the western part of the block diagram, presented as a cross section (2-dimensional panel illustration) how the Tertiary and Cretaceous strata cut across the older Paleozoic strata, and dip into the Paducah-Memphis Basin. New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), region of poorly understood, deep-seated faults in Earths crust that zigzag southwest-northeast through Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky, U.S. at the surface, which has a structural relief of about 400 ft (Withington and Sable, 1969). xref These fault systems were formed along the edges of a broad rift or crack in the Earth's crust that occurs deep beneath the surface, and extends from western Kentucky to the Mississippi River. suggest that the Waverly arch represents the position of this migratory arch during Beekmantown (Early 0000001185 00000 n The epicenter of the quake was located about 10 miles from the city of Ridgecrest and was located about 124 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Appalachian basin.--The eastern part of Kentucky, particularly the area east of the Pottsville Escarpment, lies The quake occurred at 8:59 am local time and was felt from Jackson to the west, into Indiana and further east to Berea. The basin EXPOSED AND NEAR-SURFACE FAULTS The faults shown on the map as red lines had been digitized by others to produce three published source maps, each of which is a compilation (Nager, 1988; Frankie and others, 1994; Nelson, 1995a) (table 3). Bullitt County - Shepherdsville. recurrence curve plotted for the New Madrid seismic zone (Nuttli, 1979) shows that, for example, in a Kentucky Geological Survey. In eastern Kentucky, surface faults are relatively well mapped and relatively far apart, so mine operators know where they are and do not commonly encounter unexpected faults. Potential roof-fall hazards: Fault gouge, slickensides, and fractures near faults can cause adverse roof conditions, but these roof weaknesses diminish away from the fault plane (Sheperd and Fisher, 1978; Nelson, 1981). the Nashville dome in central Tennessee through central Kentucky to northwestern Ohio, where it Jeptha Knob, first described by Bucher (1925), has recently been described in detail by Cressman (1981). The general configuration of the basin is shown by a contour map of the base of the Oklahoma has experienced an uptick in seismicity over the past decade and faces risks from both induced and natural earthquakes. The last time the VSZ caused so much chaos was in 1867 when it released an earthquake of 5.6-magnitude the strongest in Virginias history. The Pennyrile fault system (Green River fault zone of Lidiak 0 earthquakes recorded in history. place of about 35,000 ft (Colton, 1970, p. 13). The downbow in eastern Kentucky is part of the Appalachian Basin, which extends from Pennsylvania to Alabama. Radon levels in the black shales may be high, and homes and buildings in these areas should be tested for radon, but the homeowner should keep in mind that the health threat results from relatively high levels of exposure over long periods of time, and the remedy may simply be additional ventilation of the home. Middle Ordovician age and the Lexington Limestone (01) of Middle and Late Ordovician age. Fault gouge is commonly mineralized. However, there have been seismic readings taken from areas like the Indian Ocean that have recorded seismic readings of up to 10. 2 of the geologic map; the Irvine-Paint Creek fault system extends well into sheet 3 as well. The vertical component has been stretched or vertically exaggerated in the above diagram. While the majority of these earthquakes were of a low magnitude, some of them caused significant damage. Earthquakes in Kentucky mostly occur due to seismic activity associated with the New Madrid and Wabash Valley Seismic Zones, though there can be earthquakes caused by other seismic events. 16). The fault system runs from the Mississippi Delta, through Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Don't search a large area this way, it takes too long. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. A variety of datasets can be located and downloaded, static map products can be viewed, and many web mapping applications and services are easily accessible. Thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in this region since 1974. fluorspar district (fig. In 2011, New Yorkers were jolted by a5.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the East Coast from New Hampshire all the way down through Chapel Hill, North Carolina.