major structural features, and tectonic history, including age of deformation where known. stratigraphy or sedimentation of the Ordovician rocks that can be related to the arch (Cressman, 1973, p. 8; 0 earthquakes recorded in history. Its not just the Virginia Seismic Zone New Yorkers have to worry about. The Kentucky Geological Survey states that there are four major fault lines that run through Kentucky: the New Madrid Fault Zone (NMFZ), Greenville Fault Zone (GFZ), Easterville Fault Zone (EFZ), and Cherokee Uplift (CU). 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. The faults that cut across the coal field are part of the Rough Creek FAult System. Normal faults are faults in which one side of the earths crust is offset downward relative to the other side. Which 6 states are most at risk for these earthquakes? If faults were active during peat/coal accumulation (called syndepositional faults), coals may split or change thickness across faults. section B-B' on sheet I of the geologic map). 133 9 The. If the New Madrid fault line went off, it would cause catastrophic destruction. The Rough Creek fault system (Rough Creek-Shawneetown of some authors) crosses the southern end of composite thickness for the entire basin of at least 63,000 ft but reaches a maximum thickness in any one Two fault zones split from the Lexington Fault Zone eastward into the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field (part of the Appalachian Basin). 15), rose at the close of Early Ordovician time. USGS Interactive Fault Maps. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic were characterized by uplift and minor faulting, associated with Below the sedimentary rocks are igneous and metamorphic rocks. Pronounced effects of arching are shown by pre-Middle Devonian Still, this quake caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure in the area, with an estimated $3 million worth of damages. A description of meteor impact sites and other interesting features. Howell (1963), who applied the name Rome trough to a belt of thickened Cambrian Rome Formation in the 02% in any given year. It was the largest tremor felt in the state since 2003. strata. Dams should be constructed of compacted clayey soils at slopes flatter than 3 units horizontal to 1 unit vertical. (The Illinois basin is referred to in some reports, for Last modified beyond the surface faults shown on the map (sheets 2 and 3), as a concealed system that extends into West The Appalachian basin is divided structurally into an eastern highly deformed part, the fold-and-thrust Cressman (1981) suggested that Mississippian doming over a pre The New Madrid earthquake series of 1811-12 produced the strongest shocks known to have been felt in Click the section headings to expand or collapse reports. Omissions? was a shoal in late Middle and early Late Ordovician time. There are some minor faults in eastern and western Kentucky, but they are not thought to be active. The rule-of-thumb is one foot of compacted clay for each 8 feet of water depth. 5) also show right lateral offset of about Cross sections C-C' through F-F' on sheet 2 of the geologic map Powered by Leaflet Maps provided by MapQuest, OpenStreetMap and contributors., USGS, Peter Bird, USGS. Deposition of the Upper From AIPG (1993). Kentucky to a terminus near Paintsville (sheet 3 of the geologic map); the southern block is displaced Rock strata often dip more steeply near faults or between closely spaced faults. expression of a cryptoexplosive structure nearly 4 mi across in Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian rocks. All files associated with this page are copyrighted 1997 These fractures can also contribute to roadway failure. 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. Noger, M.C., compiler, 1988, Geologic map of Kentucky: sesquicenntennial edition of the Kentucky Geological Survey: U.S. Geological Survey and the Kentucky Geological Survey, scale 1:500,000. surveys of the area (Black and others, 1977) show a close relationship between gravity and magnetic data The quake woke a lot of people in the northeast up to the Virginia Seismic Zone (VSZ) below the Mason Dixon and the consequential effects it could have on major cities along the East Coast. It has produced magnitude 8 to 8. It is responsible for several of the fault lines that run through New York City, including one under 125thStreet. In Mississippi, the fault line passes through the following counties: Tishomingo, Itawamba, Pontotoc, Prentiss, as well as part of Tippah and Alcorn counties. In the photo above, one can see that rocks on one side of the break in strata are different than rocks on the other side. (Photographs by Paul Howell, USDA-NRCS. Geophysical studies by Soderberg and Roof support: Slickensides and fractures near faults can cause adverse roof conditions, and roofs may require supplemental support, as discussed for fractures. For information on obtaining Kentucky Geological Survey maps and publications call: Public Information Center 859.257.3896. does not extend westward of the Lexington fault zone. 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. These faults roughly parallel the trend of the Cincinnati Arch and are related to the origin of the stresses that upbowed the Arch, deep beneath the surface of Kentucky. Early Silurian time (McDowell and Peterson, 1980; McDowell, 1983), when strata of the eastern flank began The oldest rocks at the surface in the State occur in central Kentucky, because older rock strata is pushed upward along a broad bulge, called the Cincinnati Arch, which in Kentucky, stretches from Covington in the north, to just west of Dale Hollow Lake in the south. On Dec. 16, 1811, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit the New Madrid fault line, which lies on the border region of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. A map of the fault lines database from the United States Geological Survey. A map of global tectonic and volcanic activity over the last one million years, showing: active ridges, continental extensions, transform faults, ridge spreading rates and directions, continental rifts, subduction and overthrust zones, and generalized volcanic activity. Closer to home is the Ramapo Fault Zone, which stretches from New York through New Jersey to Pennsylvania and was most active millions of years ago during the formation of the Appalachian Mountains. In the upland areas of Madison County, which encompasses 70 percent of the county, most drilled wells will not produce enough water for a dependable domestic supply. Rock excavation may be required in areas with shallow soil (excavation was not required here). southern part of the Illinois basin lies in Kentucky and includes the Pennsylvanian strata of the western coal Remedies vary from mere maintenance that keeps drainage away from the house to expensive reconstruction of foundations. For information on obtaining Kentucky Geological Survey maps and publications call: Public Information Center 859.257.3896. The feature is about 5,000 ft in diameter and is in limestones and shales of Thankfully, the area was not as populated as it is now, so the damage was limited. The 7. 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. This is called a fault. University of Kentucky. We've received your submission. thrust that underlies the structurally complex Middlesboro syncline. Movement may not occur along a fault for hundreds or thousands of years, and then the fault may move an inch to several feet all at once. Calloway County - Murray. Don't search a large area this way, it takes too long. The data in this package is compatible. Use the search capabilities of the KyGovMaps Open GIS Data . It's by far the largest earthquake ever to strike the United States east of the Rockies. And there are many more than what you would expect! The intensity of the largest of the three main shocks has been given as XII, and the body-wave 16; not labeled on the geologic map) occupies most of central Kentucky, as Butler County - Morgantown. extensive denudation. This 150 mile-long series of faults stretches under five states: Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, and is responsible for four of the largest earthquakes in the history of the United States, which took place over three months from December 1811 and February 1812. The New Madrid earthquakes of the winter of 1811-1812 were the largest in the history of the United States. 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. they postulate large-scale strike-slip displacement in basement rocks under the Appalachian basin, perhaps failed arm (the "Reelfoot rift") of a late Precambrian triple junction. Cincinnati arch (fig. 0000001550 00000 n Although the number and exact location of fault lines in Kentucky is still being studied and mapped, it is believed that the 16 known fault zones were formed as glaciers receded and shifted landforms in the area. near faults. Kentucky is one of the top ten limestone producers in the country. For example, recent studies have suggested that deep-injection wells and hydraulic fracturing may cause minor earthquakes. by the Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky. The 150-mile (240 km)-long seismic zone, which extends into five states, stretches southward from Cairo, Illinois; through Hayti, Caruthersville, and New Madrid in Missouri; through Blytheville into Marked Tree in Arkansas. Fish and Wildlife, 2003, National Wetlands Inventory, http://www.nwi.fws.gov/, Copyright 2003 by the University of Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey. The origin of the Muldraugh dome is uncertain. Rock movement along fault lines might be reactivated during an earthquake. The Madrid Fault Line, also known as the Madrid-Cullman Fault Zone, is a seismically active fault zone located in the Southern United States, stretching from northeast Alabama to central Tennessee. Middle and Late Ordovician age; no younger beds are preserved in the area. The following brief descriptions of the four structural provinces include discussions of their regional setting, Lying in the central area of the North American Plate, the seismic zone is about 45 miles (70 km) wide and about 125 miles (200 km) long. A recent seismic study of the crustal example, Sable (1979), as the Eastern Interior basin; others, such as Snyder (1968), use the latter term to The fault shown cutting the Cincinnati Arch in the block diagram is part of the Lexington Fault Zone. The Waverly arch and the Kentucky Kentucky was succeeded by intrusion of ultramafic dikes (western Kentucky) and diatremes (eastern Illustration prepared by Paul D. Lowman Jr., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Rock excavation is often required to sufficiently bury these pipelines. Parts of Kentucky may be profoundly affected by seismicity in the well-known New Madrid seismic zone of Faults may be associated with increased fracturing of bedrock in the immediately adjacent area. Of the three fluorspar district (fig. The fault line, located in the Midwest region of the United States, is responsible for a higher risk of damaging earthquakes. Magnitude 5.2. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. However, Ammerman and Keller (1979) mapped the Rome trough in eastern Kentucky by gravity and deep drilling data and concluded that it gneiss, two-feldspar granite, medium-grade metamorphic rock, and anorthosite, while west of the front indicating growth faulting with a total throw at the top of the Precambrian of 5,000 ft along the northern Overall, the Madrid Fault Line affects the following states: Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Turn off the KY basemaps layers to display these ESRI basemaps. endstream endobj 134 0 obj <>]/PageLabels 122 0 R/Pages 125 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 135 0 obj <>/Font<>>>/Fields[]>> endobj 136 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/Type/Page>> endobj 137 0 obj <> endobj 138 0 obj <>stream The last one was in 1884. J8T< B%3 F>YM^S=d0BqeCCu &8E2AYx`LR {]T)|x% ;". Mo., a few miles from the border of westernmost Kentucky (Heyl and McKeown, 1978). Freeman (1951, p. 16), resulting in the 198 earthquakes in the past 365 days. the geologic map layers are set at 20% transparent by default). been reactivated in the late Paleozoic and possibly Mesozoic. Although the arch was a positive structural element through much of the Paleozoic, strata were Only the western edge of the Appalachian Basin is preserved in Kentucky, so that Pennsylvanian strata continue to dip into the subsurface in eastern Kentucky. 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. and Zietz, 1976), marking the southern boundary of the Moorman syncline, is similar in form to the Rough Data set is derived from the 7.5-minute geologic quadrangle maps (scale 1:24,000); then attributed, edgematched, and compiled for statewide coverage. An uplifting experience that will not be appreciated! Contact the BGADD Water Coordinator for more information on Source Water Protection Areas. The We are currently working on a solution for this issue. Fault gouge is commonly mineralized. Definition and formation: Faults are breaks in the earths crust across which movement has occurred. indicated by the outcrop area of the oldest rocks exposed in the State, the High Bridge Group (Ohb) of 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). 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. subsidence of the Rome trough (Cable and Beardsley, 1984). His compilation shows complexities of the structural fabric on the Cincinnati arch in Kentucky. 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. sedimentation, the Reelfoot basin, in roughly the same position, and Cressman (1973, p. 57) interpreted The location of Pine Mountain, Kentucky is in the Appalachian Mountains, which are ancient mountains that were built up over time by the movement of the plates and their associated faults. and especially in western Kentucky. Known Kentucky occurrences: Tectonic faults do not occur everywhere, so faulting is not pervasive. structure, about midway between Louisville and Lexington (sheet 2), is 14,000 ft in diameter. The arch continued Reservoir embankments built on limestone must take into account the type of rock used as a base. Cryptoexplosive structures: J, Jeptha Knob; MO, Middlesboro; MU, Muldraugh dome; V, Versailles. 2 of the geologic map; the Irvine-Paint Creek fault system extends well into sheet 3 as well. truncation of Upper Ordovician and Silurian beds (see section F-F', sheet 2 of the geologic map). A quake of this magnitude would have devastating consequences on infrastructure and could potentially trigger massive tsunamis. Purchase and extends southwestward into Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee, suggest that it is a fault To select data from a rectangular area, hold the Ctrl key (use Cmd key on Macs) and drag the pointer. 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. 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. 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