The arch continued For example, less groundwater recharge and increased storm runoff occurs due to increased pavement area. 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. KY basemap layers are displayed above these ESRI basemaps. from about 1,500 to about 1,000 m.y. 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 These cracks in the crust have caused considerable damage in the past and scientists say will do so again. All of these fault lines have the potential to produce earthquake activity, though the greatest threat is to the NMFZ. The quake was felt widely throughout the state and even as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada. 16). The The last one was in 1884. Contact the Webmaster for questions and comments. Campbell County - Alexandria. Map showing Quaternary faults in the western U.S. and Pacific Ocean. Offset along faults may be measured in inches to thousands of feet. summarized the available gravity, magnetic, seismic refraction, and petrologic data for Kentucky and P, Elliott County peridotite intrusion. 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). Embayment across a gentle, northwest-trending arch (Heyl and others, 1965; Pinckney, 1976; Trace and subsidence of the Rome trough (Cable and Beardsley, 1984). It is 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. trailer This map courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) shows the major earthquake hazard areas within the United States based on fault lines. 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. (See New Madrid earthquakes of 181112.). 1 on the Richter scale. Cressman (1981) suggested that Mississippian doming over a pre Thousands of milder aftershocks occurred daily for more than a year. A compacted clay liner, or artificial liner, may prevent pond failure. 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 quake was felt for over 200,000 square miles, including in the Carolinas, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. (photo by Edward Nuhfer). (The Illinois basin is referred to in some reports, for 7 earthquakes in the past, and is capable of producing earthquakes with magnitudes of up to 9. Kentucky was succeeded by intrusion of ultramafic dikes (western Kentucky) and diatremes (eastern 0 earthquake. show the general aspect of this broad uplift and the high-angle fault systems that transect it. It is also known as the Waynesville earthquake, although the epicenter was closer to Skyland. unexposed Cambrian and Ordovician strata. 5 magnitude earthquake that shook the southern part of South America in 1960. 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. Contains faults, geologic units, and geologic contacts. Kentucky is one of the top ten limestone producers in the country. document.write(d.getFullYear()); Rock strata often dip more steeply near faults or between closely spaced faults. Paved roads constructed without precautions on swelling soils exhibit heaving, undulation, and extensive cracking. 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. Carter County - Grayson. Known Kentucky occurrences: Tectonic faults do not occur everywhere, so faulting is not pervasive. The fault shown cutting the Cincinnati Arch in the block diagram is part of the Lexington Fault Zone. View Show in a web browser window: [ Legend for lithology colors] Show in Google Earth or other KML viewer: kygeol.kml (Uncompressed, 23.1M) 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. No, Pine Mountain in Kentucky is not a fault line. The general configuration of the basin is shown by a contour map of the base of the structure, about midway between Louisville and Lexington (sheet 2), is 14,000 ft in diameter. 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. These fractures can also contribute to roadway failure. Note that most faults that can affect residents are either onshore or just offshore. and Kankakee arches on the north and east (fig. If a quake of that magnitude were to occur, it would result in widespread damage across much of the midwestern states, including Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Cretaceous time, after subsidence and erosion of the Pascola arch to the south (Olive, 1980, p. 5). Create a bookmark, record the ID, and use your own layout here. Beneath the Surface [Geologic Structures]. 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. 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. suggest that the Waverly arch represents the position of this migratory arch during Beekmantown (Early mi. County geology. Branches of the fault extend into Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Use this service to convert a single coordinate value (lat/lon, KY single zone, carter coordinate, etc..) to 14 different coordinate values. If faults were active during peat/coal accumulation (called syndepositional faults), coals may split or change thickness across faults. 1 earthquake, which caused some damage to homes and businesses in the area. Faults are common geologic structures across Kentucky, and have been mapped in many of the Commonwealth's counties. Beneath the Surface [Geologic Structures]. 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. 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. A description of meteor impact sites and other interesting features. shatter cones and other features. Of the three Trends: Faults tend to have linear to slightly curving trends, so orientations can be projected in advance of mining. Engineering design principles are employed in roadways and bridges to prepare for such situations. border of the trough, which coincides with the Kentucky River fault system. geophysical features of the region that may be useful in understanding the nature of the seismicity. Mitchell County Earthquake - July 8, 1926. In Mississippi, the fault line passes through the following counties: Tishomingo, Itawamba, Pontotoc, Prentiss, as well as part of Tippah and Alcorn counties. 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. 0 earthquake. The data in this package is compatible. 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. Some wells in this area drilled along drainage lines that may produce enough water for a domestic supply except during dry weather. Ervin and McGinnis (1975) suggested, largely on the This is called a fault. described a Precambrian (Keweenawan) rifting event that resulted in formation of the east-continent Magnitude 5.2. Cambrian-Lower Ordovician Knox Group in eastern Kentucky was significantly affected by continuing inclusion of the Cumberland thrust sheet of southeasternmost Kentucky in the fold-and-thrust province. These structures appear on sheet Right: With time, expanding soils exert several tons per square foot of pressure on the foundation and shallow pilings. McGuire and Howell (1963, p. 2-4) presented of the southernmost Illinois basin, report little or no lateral offset but significant vertical movement on the Map of active US fault lines in the USA by USGS. 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. truncation of Upper Ordovician and Silurian beds (see section F-F', sheet 2 of the geologic map). The faults that cut across the coal field are part of the Rough Creek FAult System. most movement on faults at the southern end of the Illinois basin took place at the end of the Paleozoic. Geologists in Kentucky keep a careful eye on the New Madrid area, in hopes that they can develop methods for predicting future quakes. now = new Date; Kentucky (Nuttli, 1979, p. 68). and especially in western Kentucky. 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. Fault gouge is commonly mineralized. Lexington, Kentucky River, and Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems (fig. Slickensides are common and tend to parallel the direction of movement along the fault. 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. (Photographs by Paul Howell, USDA-NRCS.). Tennessee and Alabama. Its not just the Virginia Seismic Zone New Yorkers have to worry about. area dominated by numerous closely spaced high-angle faults trending northeastward from the Mississippi granites, metasediments, and felsic volcanics are associated with gravity lows, while mafic volcanics, One of the most potentially dangerous fault lines lies north of California, stretching between Oregon and Washington. Kentucky 1:24,000 Geologic Map Data. Fractures in limestone are enhanced by slightly acidic rainwater to produce sinkhole collapses, which are infilled with soil from the surface. 133 0 obj <> endobj 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). Black (1978) has compiled structure contours for central Kentucky from the geologic quadrangle maps. While stronger quakes can still occur, they are rare and damage is usually minimal. Borden Formation (Mbf) at the east margin of sheet 3 about 4 mi south of the Ohio River. Carroll County - Carrollton. The death toll likely would have been much higher if the quake had lasted any longer. 14), and then after some distance, crossed another fault. recurrence curve plotted for the New Madrid seismic zone (Nuttli, 1979) shows that, for example, in a Howell (1963), who applied the name Rome trough to a belt of thickened Cambrian Rome Formation in the Summaries of the geology in each of Kentucky's counties by Kentucky students. Yes, there have been 10. Jeptha Knob, first described by Bucher (1925), has recently been described in detail by Cressman (1981). 30 mi wide, which coincides with gravity and magnetic highs and extends from south-central Kentucky into There are numerous faults in Kentucky. Englund and Roen (1963) suggested a meteor-impact origin for the structure on the basis of the presence of 5) also show right lateral offset of about may have originated much earlier, however: Schwalb (1969, p. 9) identified a Cambrian-Ordovician basin of The GFZ runs north-south through central Kentucky, stretching from near Louisville eastward to the Appalachian foothills. Buschbach and Atherton (1979) suggest that 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. . 141 0 obj <>stream Legend Issues: Some legend items may not print in the layout. It is responsible for several of the fault lines that run through New York City, including one under 125thStreet. ( eastern 0 earthquake ) ; Rock strata often dip more steeply faults... Broad uplift and the high-angle fault systems ( fig fault extend into Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and after! 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