Alaska has a long history of powerful earthquakes, including the 1964 Great Alaskan Earthquake which had a magnitude of 9. 8). central area, and a downdropped peripheral belt. The basin It is a domal structure, about 2 mi in diameter and unfaulted 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 current form of the embayment in Kentucky was established in latest 0000003418 00000 n Yes, there have been 10. angle normal faults and less common reverse faults bounding a series of grabens and horsts, with a total Kentucky (Nuttli, 1979, p. 68). Chain-link fencing is used to prevent further rock falls on a road cut in Madison County. Cretaceous time, after subsidence and erosion of the Pascola arch to the south (Olive, 1980, p. 5). All files associated with this page are copyrighted 1997 No, earthquakes arent particularly rare in Kentucky. The fault system runs from the Mississippi Delta, through Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Prior site planning that takes geology into account is always preferable to dealing with problems after a structure is built. Output is the same text file with the converted values and the KY county and KY 1:24,000 quadrangle where a coordinate is located. reports indicate that, although the most severe earthquakes (New Madrid type) may occur only every Stresses exerted by swelling soils have caused this block wall surrounding a condominium complex (not in Madison County) to tilt and break. The Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district, at the west end of the Moorman syncline, is a structurally complex Several types of smaller, nontectonic faults have also been encountered during mining and are discussed separately in different sections of this website. A map of earthquakes epicenters, however, reflects faulting at depth and shows that the earthquakes define several branches of the New Madrid seismic zone in northeastern Arkansas, southwestern Kentucky, southeastern Missouri, and northwestern Tennessee. *0 ! Thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in this region since 1974. Silurian deformational event argues against an impact origin. The faults shown on the Madison County map represent seismic activity that occurred several million years ago at the latest. indicating growth faulting with a total throw at the top of the Precambrian of 5,000 ft along the northern amphibolites, and mafic granulites are found in the vicinity of highs. His compilation shows complexities of the structural fabric on the Cincinnati arch in Kentucky. The Moorman syncline extends into southern Illinois, where it is known as the Eagle These include (A) rotational faults (glide planes) bounding paleoslumps, (B) compactional faults along cutout (paleochannel) margins and around or beneath roof rolls, and (C) clay-vein faults. The US Geological Survey estimates that the likelihood of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6 or greater in Kentucky is 0. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. Quadrangle According to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, The Sangre de Cristo Fault, which lies at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains along the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, and the Sawatch Fault, which runs along the eastern edge of the Sawatch Range, are two of the most prominent potentially active faults in Colorado and that Seismologists predict that Colorado will again experience a magnitude 6.5 earthquake at some unknown point in the future.. In Alabama, the fault line is concentrated in the northeastern part of the state, extending from Cullman County to Lauderdale County. 0000003508 00000 n of the southernmost Illinois basin, report little or no lateral offset but significant vertical movement on the It was the largest tremor felt in the state since 2003. 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. Newton, J.H., McDonald, H.P., Preston, D.G., Richardson, A.J., and Sims, R., 1973, Soil survey of Madison County, Kentucky: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 103 p. Sparks, T.N., Dever, G.R., Jr., and Anderson, W.H., 2001, Geologic map of the Harrodsburg 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, central Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey, ser. Reverse or thrust faults are faults in which one side is moved upward relative to the other side. Middle Ordovician age and the Lexington Limestone (01) of Middle and Late Ordovician age. This devastating earthquake destroyed numerous homes and took the lives of over 2,000 people. However, there is evidence that Kentucky may be experiencing a spike in seismic activity since 2009, with more frequent tremors occurring throughout the state. Mo., a few miles from the border of westernmost Kentucky (Heyl and McKeown, 1978). A septic system is installed for a public facility near Berea. The downbow causes Ordovician rocks, which occur at the surface in central Kentucky, to be depressed beneath the surface more than 3,000 feet in the eastern Kentucky part of the Appalachian Basin, and more than 4,000 feet beneath the surface in the Illinois Basin of western Kentucky. Yes, Ky has had a major earthquake in the past. Dataset Size: 0 bytes. 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. Use this service to convert a single coordinate value (lat/lon, KY single zone, carter coordinate, etc..) to 14 different coordinate values. Kentucky and adjacent States, indicate that the dominant rock types east of the Grenville Front are granite 19 earthquakes in the past 30 days. KGS Home > Geology of Kentucky As an alternative, use your computer or device screen capture tool to make an image of the map. There has been no activity along these faults in recorded history. 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. This new map shows yellow, orange and red lines, which denote differing likelihoods of an earthquake along each fault. A recent seismic study of the crustal Roof support: Slickensides and fractures near faults can cause adverse roof conditions, and roofs may require supplemental support, as discussed for fractures. Last modified migration of an arch through northeastern Kentucky in the Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician; they 16). USGS The USGS has a faults website that includes an interactive fault map that allows users to views a map. This structure is not was a shoal in late Middle and early Late Ordovician time. Contains faults, geologic units, and geologic contacts. Cambrian Denison and others (1984), in a report on basement rock types and age in River fault system largely predate Pennsylvanian deposition and are thus not readily apparent on the 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. 14), and then after some distance, crossed another fault. Omissions? 30 mi wide, which coincides with gravity and magnetic highs and extends from south-central Kentucky into Welcome to the Kentucky Geography Network. 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. 877.778.7827 (toll free). The fractures are covered by thick layers of rock, which in turn are overlaid by deep, unstable alluvial material relating to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio rivers. Kentucky to a terminus near Paintsville (sheet 3 of the geologic map); the southern block is displaced The Cascadia Subduction Zone, Pacific Northwest By the time Lewis and Clark arrived on the West Coast in 1805, it had been 105 years since the Cascadia Subduction Zone last ruptured, sending a large portion of the Pacific Ocean roaring toward the coast. Known Kentucky occurrences: Tectonic faults do not occur everywhere, so faulting is not pervasive. Data set is derived from the 7.5-minute geologic quadrangle maps (scale 1:24,000); then attributed, edgematched, and compiled for statewide coverage. 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. Kentucky was succeeded by intrusion of ultramafic dikes (western Kentucky) and diatremes (eastern bounded rift zone which is responsible for the relatively high level of modern seismic activity in the New In Tennessee, the fault line continues from northern Mississippi, and passes through Chester, Henderson, McNairy, Hardin, and Wayne counties, before entering western Kentucky. Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems, the Pine Mountain thrust fault, and the Waverly arch of northeastern Modifications to the landscape require careful planning to mitigate negative impacts. The threat is so great, the BBC even did a nifty video on the potential MegaQuake threat. It is Appropriate preparation is needed when approaching faults underground, in case fluids or gases are encountered. The broad, For example, recent studies have suggested that deep-injection wells and hydraulic fracturing may cause minor earthquakes. Although the arch was a positive structural element through much of the Paleozoic, strata were several thousand years (McKeown, 1982, p. 1), damaging earthquakes in the region have been common This print tool currently honors the default opacity/transparency of each layer (if you change the opacity of a layer, the updated rendering will NOT be printed). Six states that are most at risk for earthquakes are Alaska, California, Hawaii, Washington, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The Jessamine dome (fig. Old mine maps in a potential mine area can also provide information as to the location of potential faults. which they call the Rough Creek graben. Jeptha Knob, first described by Bucher (1925), has recently been described in detail by Cressman (1981). expression of a cryptoexplosive structure nearly 4 mi across in Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian rocks. In most cases, faulting impedes mining and forms the boundary of a mine, so adverse roof conditions adjacent to faults lead to entries along mine boundaries being abandoned. extensive denudation. been reactivated in the late Paleozoic and possibly Mesozoic. Thousands of milder aftershocks occurred daily for more than a year. Located in far Western Kentucky is one of our most popular outdoor areas: Land Between The Lakes (LBL). subsurface of eastern Kentucky. composite thickness for the entire basin of at least 63,000 ft but reaches a maximum thickness in any one Below the sedimentary rocks are igneous and metamorphic rocks. Zoom in instead. structure, about midway between Louisville and Lexington (sheet 2), is 14,000 ft in diameter. At the surface it is represented The vertical component has been stretched or vertically exaggerated in the above diagram. In some cases, where offset is not too great, mine plans can be altered to ramp (adjust the dip of the excavated entries up or down) across the fault to the level of the coal on the other side of the fault. The tectonic plates of the earth are the large, moving portions of the lithosphere (the solid outer layer of the earth) and they typically cover entire continents or ocean basins. southern part of the Illinois basin lies in Kentucky and includes the Pennsylvanian strata of the western coal However, Ammerman and Keller may have originated much earlier, however: Schwalb (1969, p. 9) identified a Cambrian-Ordovician basin of All six states are at increased risk for experiencing damaging earthquakes and should be prepared with proper mitigation strategies. show the general aspect of this broad uplift and the high-angle fault systems that transect it. The New Madrid earthquake series of 1811-12 produced the strongest shocks known to have been felt in The Grenville Front, apparently in County geology. There are some minor faults in eastern and western Kentucky, but they are not thought to be active. This is called a fault. 02% in any given year. Campbell County - Alexandria. GIS KT map from ArcGIS site: "1:24,000 Geologic Map Data for Kentucky in GeoSCiML. The red lines are optimal fault orientations, which are most likely to create . Geophysical studies by Soderberg and The fractures are covered by thick layers of rock, which in turn are . Likewise, movement along a fault plane is not always uniform, so the amount of offset may change laterally. Solid lines indicate fault traces. Throughout the county ground water is hard or very hard and may contain salt or hydrogen sulfide, especially at depths greater than 100 feet. Kentucky). Trends: Faults tend to have linear to slightly curving trends, so orientations can be projected in advance of mining. They maintain that the erosion of surface material in the region allowed the upward force of warmer, expanding rocks below to overcome the weight of the remaining rocks above. northeastern Kentucky (Dever and others, 1977). (Photographs by Paul Howell, USDA-NRCS.). 133 9 9) coal (Greb and Williams, 2000). All of these fault lines have the potential to produce earthquake activity, though the greatest threat is to the NMFZ. This area, mostly on sheet 3 of the geologic map, forms a part Resource maps of most of the mined coal beds in western Kentucky show that a large number of mines are bounded by faults. dome (Lexington dome of some authors), a culmination of the arch in central Kentucky; the Cumberland near faults. The time of formation of the Cincinnati arch in central Kentucky has recently been discussed by McDowell Recent geophysical, geological, and seismological studies of the Reelfoot basin, which underlies the Jackson Oil, natural gas, and water can migrate along faults, leading to oil-, gas-, and water-charged sandstones in mine roofs near faults. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The arch continued 1 earthquake, which caused some damage to homes and businesses in the area. Usually, movements along faults are not great at any one time. The quake was felt widely throughout the state and even as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada. The Irvine-Paint Creek fault system extends eastward from central We've received your submission. Rough Creek graben, that was active as early as latest Precambrian or earliest Cambrian time and that has beyond the surface faults shown on the map (sheets 2 and 3), as a concealed system that extends into West Ponds with dam heights exceeding 25 feet, or pond volumes exceeding 50 acre-feet require permits. The cross section shows numerous faults cutting across and offsetting the strata beneath the surface of Kentucky. mi. The present structural relief on the arch results mostly from latest Paleozoic No, Kentucky is not on a major fault line. Ordovician) deposition. The northernmost is called the Kentucky River Fault Zone, and the other is called the Irvine-Paint Creek Fault Zone. https://mrdata.usgs.gov/services/wfs/sgmc2. sheet I of the geologic map). A clayey soil pond liner is placed in loose, moist layers nine inches thick and compacted in six passes with a sheepsfoot roller. province, and a western mildly deformed part referred to as the Appalachian Plateaus; the latter include the the presence of an ancestral Mississippi Embayment. Click the section headings to expand or collapse reports. The Pennyrile fault system (Green River fault zone of Lidiak Major tectonic events in Kentucky for which evidence has accumulated begin with late Precambrian rifting Webb (1969) and Silberman (1972) have interpreted subsurface data as 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. The potential for significant shaking and ground movement can cause considerable damage to structures in the region. Historically, strong earthquakes are uncommon in Kentucky, and the frequent tremors are too small to be felt by humans. 0000001642 00000 n regional facies relationships of the Lexington Limestone of central Kentucky and adjacent States as implying Black (1978) has compiled structure contours for central Kentucky from the geologic quadrangle maps. Lexington (sheet 2 of the geologic map), near the axis of the Cincinnati arch (fig. Map via USGS 1. 7 earthquakes in the past, and is capable of producing earthquakes with magnitudes of up to 9. 16), resulting in the If the New Madrid fault line went off, it would cause catastrophic destruction. View the KGS World Wide Web site at: www.uky.edu/kgs. An Equal Opportunity University. Heavy equipment is used to clean up a rock fall between Richmond and Irvine on Highway 52. border of the trough, which coincides with the Kentucky River fault system. The Appalachian basin in Kentucky contains several major structural features: the Kentucky River and U.S. Geophysical If faults were active during peat/coal accumulation (called syndepositional faults), coals may split or change thickness across faults. Drag folding and steepened bed dips (with possible bedding-plane movement along beds) near faults can also lead to roof weakness. the Illinois basin in Kentucky and forms the northern boundary of the east-west-trending Moorman 1979, p. F23) (see cross section G'-G"). Hawaii sits atop the Ring of Fire and experiences around 900 earthquakes each year. Carter County - Grayson. The KyGeoNet is the Geospatial Data Clearinghouse for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 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. Caldwell County - Princeton. fields indicate dip-slip movement (Palmer, 1969). 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. The 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 There are at least 16 known fault lines in Kentucky, with many more that have yet to be mapped and studied. (Cressman, 1981, p. 14). The Rough Creek fault zone is made up of numerous high The faults that cut across the coal field are part of the Rough Creek FAult System. Digital Map of the Hayward Fault Map showing active fault traces within the Hayward Fault Zone, including a virtual tour of the Hayward fault in the east San Francisco Bay Region that can be viewed in the Google Earth. Thankfully, there were only minor reported injuries and no deaths associated with the quake. Some seismologists believe that the maximum magnitude for a quake is 9. Offsets on these fault zones are mostly down to the south. 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. The last one was in 1884. The Appalachian basin is divided structurally into an eastern highly deformed part, the fold-and-thrust Washington experiences frequent, moderate earthquakes from its many active fault systems. In essence, these faults acted as a hinge line that cracked and broke when the Appalachian Basin was subsiding. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 4 coal (Greb and others, 2001) and Springfield (W. Ky. No. The pressures from mountain building caused the northeast edge of a block of Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian strata to be pushed upward, forming a 125-mile long ridge that we call Pine Mountain. sparse data on samples from the nine basement test wells. For example, in 1980 New Madrid experienced a magnitude 5. Most polygon layers have some transparency set (e.g. Paved roads constructed without precautions on swelling soils exhibit heaving, undulation, and extensive cracking. Major cities like Portland, Seattle and Vancouver lie along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which scientists say has the capability of a 9.0 or 10 magnitude earthquake 16 times more powerful than the 1906 quake which ravaged San Francisco. Updates? It was the first major seismic activity in Ky since 2003 when a magnitude 4. Originally, the network provided a group of geologists who served as resource persons for teachers. Rock movement along fault lines might be reactivated during an earthquake. We are currently working on a solution for this issue. # / ) ) 0 $! Remedies vary from mere maintenance that keeps drainage away from the house to expensive reconstruction of foundations. In some cases, coals become mineralized (calcite veins, etc.) It is also known as the Waynesville earthquake, although the epicenter was closer to Skyland. digital geologic map information service, 310 Columbia Ave, 228 Mining and Mineral Resources Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0107. 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. and especially in western Kentucky. and Pakiser, 1982) provides detailed descriptions of historic and modern seismicity and geologic and parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky and lying between the Ozark uplift on the west and the Cincinnati The debate over the maximum magnitudes of earthquakes is still ongoing and there has yet to be a definitive answer as the exact measurement of magnitude is hard to pin down due to the strength of the tectonic plates in different areas. labeled on the geologic map, but it appears as a small, round outcrop area of the Muldraugh Member of the Fault gouge formed from movement along the fault. Legend Issues: Some legend items may not print in the layout. Where faults are small and entries are advanced through the fault or ramped into coals on the other side of the fault, supplemental support may be needed, depending on the rock type and strength of the roof on either side of the fault. Major structural elements within the basin in Kentucky are the Rough Alternate titles: Mississippi Valley fault system, New Madrid Fault. Did you know record earthquakes have rocked Kentucky? FIGURE 16.--. In 1996, the Education Committee of the Kentucky Geological Survey, in conjunction with the Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists, established the Earth Science Education Network (ESEN). The relative direction or motion of movement defines the type of fault. The general configuration of the basin is shown by a contour map of the base of the 15,000-km2 area there will be on the average one earthquake Of mb about 4 or greater annually. Kentucky (fig. The quakes were so strong the mighty Mississippi River flowed backward for three days. In addition to the physical destruction caused by the 9. xref Pennsylvanian unconformity. Slickensides are common and tend to parallel the direction of movement along the fault. 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. 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. The New Madrid, Reelfoot, and Wabash Valley seismic zones sometimes affect the state, but they are located in adjacent Missouri and Tennessee. It's by far the largest earthquake ever to strike the United States east of the Rockies. 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. Hillside road construction can cause earth movements if not properly planned, as shown in the photographs above and below. 5 earthquake lasted approximately 10 minutes. Breckinridge County - Hardinsburg. Ages range " $ #& Of the three Freeman (1951, p. The NMSZ is the most active seismic area in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. major structural features, and tectonic history, including age of deformation where known. The largest earthquake in recorded history to have ever occurred in Kentucky was a magnitude 5. from the Illinois and Michigan basins. Harris (1978) combined the Rome trough with Topographical changes resulting from the earthquakes included fissures, landslides, subsidence (sinking) and upheavals, soil liquefaction, the creation and destruction of lakes and swamps, and the wasting of forests. Kentucky 1:24,000 Geologic Map Data. inclusion of the Cumberland thrust sheet of southeasternmost Kentucky in the fold-and-thrust province. 3 magnitude quake that occurred near Hardinsburg on April 25, 2012. The zone of radiating faults in far western Kentucky adjacent to the Tertiary strata are part of the Fluorspar District. Within the Basin in Kentucky was a shoal in Late Middle and Late time. Atop the Ring of Fire and experiences around 900 earthquakes each year six... Some transparency set ( e.g 2,000 people Pennsylvanian rocks a cryptoexplosive structure 4! Working on a road cut in Madison County received your submission essence, these faults in map of fault lines in kentucky Kentucky. 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