map of fault lines in kentucky

map of fault lines in kentucky

These structures appear on sheet The fractures are covered by thick layers of rock, which in turn are . 30 mi wide, which coincides with gravity and magnetic highs and extends from south-central Kentucky into HWmo6_0|I(8JSKN jSmEc&q2Hxsw:Bc$SLHqm(cd?v%:X(rx7LPd)sT|'r|K:G% _ c%*H4'%QH%o;desKS*9."|\ '-[QoE0(Z7`R Use the search capabilities of the KyGovMaps Open GIS Data . Major tectonic events in Kentucky for which evidence has accumulated begin with late Precambrian rifting Within the thin Kentucky River valley along the northern edge of Madison County, and in the lower reaches of the valleys of the larger creeks that empty into the Kentucky River, most drilled wells will produce enough water for a domestic supply at depths of less than 100 feet. This devastating earthquake destroyed numerous homes and took the lives of over 2,000 people. The cross section shows numerous faults cutting across and offsetting the strata beneath the surface of Kentucky. Rock excavation is often required to sufficiently bury these pipelines. The most recent major earthquake in Ky was the M4. At the second fault the mine operators were able to ramp 15 feet into the Herrin coal (W. Ky. No. Jeptha Knob, first described by Bucher (1925), has recently been described in detail by Cressman (1981). 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. //--> Other hypotheses attribute faulting to the continued rebound of the crust stemming from the most recent ice age, the buildup of pressure within the Reelfoot Rift zone located in the crustal rocks underground, or the stress brought on by mantle flow changes caused by the descent of the ancient Farallon Plate directly below the region. magnitude mb has been estimated to be 7.4 (Nuttli, 1979). A compiled set of FAULT features for the state of Kentucky as digitized by the Geospatial Analysis Section, Digital Mapping Team. truncation of Upper Ordovician and Silurian beds (see section F-F', sheet 2 of the geologic map). province, and a western mildly deformed part referred to as the Appalachian Plateaus; the latter include the 3 quake occurred near Smiths Grove. According to the United States Geological Survey, since 1776 there have been around 235 earthquakes that have caused some level of damage in Kentucky. which they call the Rough Creek graben. The quake was felt for over 200,000 square miles, including in the Carolinas, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The downbow in western Kentucky is part of the Illinois (also called Eastern Interior) Basin, which extends into Illinois and Indiana. 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. The Rough Creek fault system (Rough Creek-Shawneetown of some authors) crosses the southern end of Denison and others (1984, fig. [Click on image to see a larger version in a new window. (1982) points out that the New Madrid earthquakes were characterized by a particularly large "felt area" and California experiences thousands of earthquakes each year, many of which cause moderate to significant damage. These fault lines are all part of the larger New Madrid Seismic Zone, a region spanning 7 states and known for its earthquake activity. Kentucky to a terminus near Paintsville (sheet 3 of the geologic map); the southern block is displaced The last one was in 1884. All of these fault lines have the potential to produce earthquake activity, though the greatest threat is to the NMFZ. Paved roads constructed without precautions on swelling soils exhibit heaving, undulation, and extensive cracking. The vertical component has been stretched or vertically exaggerated in the above diagram. syncline (fig. 15), rose at the close of Early Ordovician time. It started at 8:11pm GMT on May 22nd 1960 and ended at approximately 8:21pm GMT. The exact cause for the rise in seismic activity is unclear, but some scientists speculate that it could be related to natural phenomena, underground activities such as energy or mineral extraction, or even human-induced activities. In some areas, faults may bifurcate and merge laterally. 02% in any given year. Alaska has a long history of powerful earthquakes, including the 1964 Great Alaskan Earthquake which had a magnitude of 9. characterized at the surface by concentric and radial faults, an uplifted, brecciated, and partly dolomitized McGuire and Howell (1963, p. 2-4) presented Ordovician) deposition. 15). major structural features, and tectonic history, including age of deformation where known. Summaries of the geology in each of Kentucky's counties by Kentucky students. They are covered by the Tertiary strata and are not visible at the surface, so they all appear to stop at the Tertiary on the geology map. The fault zone covers a surface area of 8,846 km2 (3,426 sq. Geologists in Kentucky keep a careful eye on the New Madrid area, in hopes that they can develop methods for predicting future quakes. Geophysical studies of the Moorman syncline by Prior site planning that takes geology into account is always preferable to dealing with problems after a structure is built. Ponds with dam heights exceeding 25 feet, or pond volumes exceeding 50 acre-feet require permits. These are discussed in the section on faults. Offset along faults may be measured in inches to thousands of feet. Principal structural features of the arch in Kentucky are the Jessamine Trends: Faults tend to have linear to slightly curving trends, so orientations can be projected in advance of mining. displacement, down to the south, generally of about 300 ft but locally as much as ten times that (see cross # / ) ) 0 $! Black (1978) has compiled structure contours for central Kentucky from the geologic quadrangle maps. 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. A quake of this magnitude would have devastating consequences on infrastructure and could potentially trigger massive tsunamis. Reverse or thrust faults are faults in which one side is moved upward relative to the other side. Create a bookmark, record the ID, and use your own layout here. The Kentucky River fault system has been extended eastward, Weir and others, 1984), though Borella and Osborne (1978) suggested that the area of the Jessamine dome FIGURE 16.--. From AIPG (1993). 4 magnitude quake that occurred near the same location on July 4, 2019. It hugs the borders of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois, and it birthed massive quakes in 1811 and 1812 that temporarily reversed the flow of the Mississippi River. 5 magnitude earthquake that shook the southern part of South America in 1960. near faults. 12, Geologic Map 1, scale 1:100,000. Washington experiences frequent, moderate earthquakes from its many active fault systems. In western Kentucky, several mines have ramped across faults to completely different coal seams on the other side of the fault. The This map shows the major fault lines in the US! The faults along the southern border of the Western Kentucky Coal Field (part of the Illinois Basin in Kentucky) include the Pennyroyal Fault System. Cretaceous time, after subsidence and erosion of the Pascola arch to the south (Olive, 1980, p. 5). 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. now = new Date; 0000001314 00000 n Resource maps of most of the mined coal beds in western Kentucky show that a large number of mines are bounded by faults. probably disappeared during most of the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian (Rice and others, 1979, p. F5, 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. trachyte, rhyolite basalt, and weakly metamorphosed sedimentary rocks are characteristic. by a brecciated center within a belt of concentric faults. 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. angle normal faults and less common reverse faults bounding a series of grabens and horsts, with a total Cressman (1981) suggested that Mississippian doming over a pre Silurian deformational event argues against an impact origin. Click the map to show data near to the point you clicked. been described by Black (1964). and Zietz, 1976), marking the southern boundary of the Moorman syncline, is similar in form to the Rough Thanks for contacting us. Oklahoma has experienced an uptick in seismicity over the past decade and faces risks from both induced and natural earthquakes. geologic map; evidence of these features has been reported from Mississippian and older rocks in The Kentucky Building and Residential Codes (Fig. Originally, the network provided a group of geologists who served as resource persons for teachers. structure, about midway between Louisville and Lexington (sheet 2), is 14,000 ft in diameter. 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. 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. field (sheet I of the geologic map). Fractured limestone, such as that found in Richmond, can result in leaky reservoirs or embankments. Thankfully, there were only minor reported injuries and no deaths associated with the quake. Webb (1969) and Silberman (1972) have interpreted subsurface data as Exploration for oil and gas in Kentucky has resulted in considerable information on the nature of the concurrent with this early period of arching has been demonstrated by Simmons (1966). Lexington, Kentucky River, and Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems (fig. Most of the movement along Kentucky's faults occurred in the distant past. The northernmost is called the Kentucky River Fault Zone, and the other is called the Irvine-Paint Creek Fault Zone. Some Earth scientists suggest that fracturing in this region resulted from stresses brought on by the downcutting of the Mississippi River into the surrounding landscape between 10,000 and 16,000 years ago. lineament, defined by aeromagnetic and gravity data, which lies across the easternmost tip of Kentucky; by the Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky. All files associated with this page are copyrighted 1997 This new map shows yellow, orange and red lines, which denote differing likelihoods of an earthquake along each fault. But, also located beneath much of western Kentucky is the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). Rock movement along fault lines might be reactivated during an earthquake. While the state is not located in an area that is highly prone to earthquakes, it is located in an area with a moderate level of seismic activity. All files associated with this page are copyrighted 1997 The main fault lines located in Kentucky are the Rough Creek Fault, the Martin-Clifty Fault, the Green River Fault, the Horse Cave Fault, the Copper Creek Fault, the Brier Creek Fault, the Middlesboro Fault, the South Fork Fault, the Memphis-Ridgemont Fault, the Motts Valley Fault, the Barren River Fault, the Pigeonroost Fault, the Elkton Fault, the McKee Fault, the Newpaw Fault and the Pottsville Fault. This map courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) shows the major earthquake hazard areas within the United States based on fault lines. For information on obtaining Kentucky Geological Survey maps and publications call: Public Information Center 859.257.3896. Zoom in instead. Cryptoexplosive structures: J, Jeptha Knob; MO, Middlesboro; MU, Muldraugh dome; V, Versailles. Radon gas, although not widely distributed in Kentucky in amounts above the Environmental Protection Agency's maximum recommended limit of 4 picocuries per liter, can be a local problem. from about 1,500 to about 1,000 m.y. 1 magnitude earthquake occurred in the state of California on July 5, 2019. Note that most faults that can affect residents are either onshore or just offshore. Computer Simulation of a Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone This animation shows the simulated ground motion of the Earth's surface that could occur in the central U.S. region for a magnitude 7.7 strike-slip earthquake on the southern section of the New Madrid seismic zone. This is called a fault. The quake was felt across much of the state and many neighboring states. Faults represent breaks in the Earth's crust. northeastern Kentucky (Dever and others, 1977). reports indicate that, although the most severe earthquakes (New Madrid type) may occur only every What states are on the Madrid fault line? A magnitude A recently assembled series of studies on the New Madrid region (McKeown In areas overlying limestone, septic system leaks can occur through fractures in the limestone, contaminating groundwater. 38) reported wells penetrating brecciated Knox dolomites and cherts below coherent Silurian dolomite, and especially in western Kentucky. 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. exposed and subjected to erosion only briefly at the end of the Ordovician, during the period of intensive Rock strata often dip more steeply near faults or between closely spaced faults. and Pakiser, 1982) provides detailed descriptions of historic and modern seismicity and geologic and southern part of the Illinois basin lies in Kentucky and includes the Pennsylvanian strata of the western coal County geology. 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. ), and was discovered in the late 1960s. (1979) mapped the Rome trough in eastern Kentucky by gravity and deep drilling data and concluded that it at the surface, which has a structural relief of about 400 ft (Withington and Sable, 1969). Valley syncline (Krause and Treworgy, 1979). States located along the Madrid Fault Line include Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. 11) and continue mining. Cambrian the Nashville dome in central Tennessee through central Kentucky to northwestern Ohio, where it migration of an arch through northeastern Kentucky in the Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician; they It is responsible for several of the fault lines that run through New York City, including one under 125thStreet. The data in this package is compatible. 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. In addition, Keller and others (1982) 1 earthquake, which caused some damage to homes and businesses in the area. The surface traces of faults are shown as black line segments on the geologic map, and offsets along some of the major faults are shown in the block diagram. composite thickness for the entire basin of at least 63,000 ft but reaches a maximum thickness in any one Kentucky and adjacent States, indicate that the dominant rock types east of the Grenville Front are granite These Ordovician inception of the arch in Kentucky, the geologic quadrangle mapping has shown no features of (photo by Edward Nuhfer), Homes constructed in areas of steep slopes can cause earth movements if not properly planned, as shown in the photographs above and below. The broad, Map showing Quaternary faults in the western U.S. and Pacific Ocean. Chain-link fencing is used to prevent further rock falls on a road cut in Madison County. From AIPG (1993). Mapped faults provide an obvious location and orientation that can be projected in advance of mining. The town of Middlesboro, in far southeastern Kentucky (sheet 3), is located in a topographic basin that is the 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. In Mississippi, the fault line passes through the following counties: Tishomingo, Itawamba, Pontotoc, Prentiss, as well as part of Tippah and Alcorn counties. The origin of the Muldraugh dome is uncertain. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Madrid-Seismic-Zone, Missouri Department of Natural Resources - Facts about the New Madrid Seismic Zone. 141 0 obj <>stream Welcome to the Kentucky Geography Network. The basin It has produced magnitude 8 to 8. The current form of the embayment in Kentucky was established in latest It. %%EOF This earthquake caused about 2,000 deaths and left about 1. Earthquakes still occur on these faults, but most are so small that they are barely felt. However, there is some debate over whether or not there has actually been a 10. Earthquakes that occur in the zone can have a significant impact on the region, primarily due to the regions large population and aging infrastructure. 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. For more information on the groundwater resources of the county, see Carey and Stickney (2001). Alternate titles: Mississippi Valley fault system, New Madrid Fault. sheet I of the geologic map). 133 9 Its not just the Virginia Seismic Zone New Yorkers have to worry about. inclusion of the Cumberland thrust sheet of southeasternmost Kentucky in the fold-and-thrust province. Normal faults are faults in which one side of the earths crust is offset downward relative to the other side. NEXT||PREVIOUS||TABLE OF CONTENTS. In addition to the physical destruction caused by the 9. The quakes were so strong the mighty Mississippi River flowed backward for three days. 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). Which 6 states are most at risk for these earthquakes? 5 earthquake lasted approximately 10 minutes. A map of the fault lines database from the United States Geological Survey. The quake was felt widely throughout the state and even as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada. This was followed by Middle(?) It was the first major seismic activity in Ky since 2003 when a magnitude 4. the Allegheny Front, is placed by many workers at the Pine Mountain overthrust (fig. Kentucky. 16). include the Michigan basin as well. A compacted clay liner, or artificial liner, may prevent pond failure. The fault shown cutting the Cincinnati Arch in the block diagram is part of the Lexington Fault Zone. 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. Fault gouge formed from movement along the fault. Keller (1981) indicate that the Moorman syncline is underlain by a large graben, which they name the bounded rift zone which is responsible for the relatively high level of modern seismic activity in the New The first shock was felt from Canada to New Orleans and as far away as Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. 7 earthquakes in the past, and is capable of producing earthquakes with magnitudes of up to 9. Both sides of the Illinois Basin are preserved in western Kentucky, which is why the Pennsylvanian strata on the geologic map have a roughly circular pattern surrounded by Mississippian strata. In some cases, coals become mineralized (calcite veins, etc.)