[Click on image to see a larger version in a new window. The Irvine-Paint Creek fault system extends eastward from central The general configuration of the basin is shown by a contour map of the base of the Cross sections C-C' through F-F' on sheet 2 of the geologic map Mitchell County Earthquake - July 8, 1926. 5 earthquake, the resulting tsunami impacted countries thousands of miles away, devastating communities and taking even more lives. 1 on the Richter scale. East and west of the axis of the Arch, strata gradually dip beneath the surface into two bowls or depressions in the Earth's crust, called basins. Originally, the network provided a group of geologists who served as resource persons for teachers. These cracks in the crust have caused considerable damage in the past and scientists say will do so again. through recorded history. 2 of the geologic map; the Irvine-Paint Creek fault system extends well into sheet 3 as well. Right: With time, expanding soils exert several tons per square foot of pressure on the foundation and shallow pilings. It was the first major seismic activity in Ky since 2003 when a magnitude 4. 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. The A septic system is installed for a public facility near Berea. The quake was felt widely throughout the state and even as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada. the Illinois basin in Kentucky and forms the northern boundary of the east-west-trending Moorman Lexington, Kentucky River, and Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems (fig. 16). the Moorman syncline of western Kentucky as the "Eastern Interior Aulacogen" and traced the trough from may have originated much earlier, however: Schwalb (1969, p. 9) identified a Cambrian-Ordovician basin of Caldwell County - Princeton. subsidence of the Rome trough (Cable and Beardsley, 1984). August 1, 2012 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 there are many more than what you would expect! 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. } Embayment across a gentle, northwest-trending arch (Heyl and others, 1965; Pinckney, 1976; Trace and The basin Despite these studies, the seismic activity in Kentucky remains relatively low in comparison to other areas of the United States, and there is no evidence that highly destructive seismic activity is likely in the near future. The most powerful earthquake to be ever recorded was a 9. Dams should be constructed of compacted clayey soils at slopes flatter than 3 units horizontal to 1 unit vertical. 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. Tennessee and Alabama. Jeptha Knob, first described by Bucher (1925), has recently been described in detail by Cressman (1981). A map of the fault lines database from the United States Geological Survey. The following brief descriptions of the four structural provinces include discussions of their regional setting, FIGURE 17.-Index to location of cross sections on the geologic map. Dataset Size: 0 bytes. Underlying shale may restrict percolation in some areas. 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.. Geophysical (Cressman, 1981, p. 14). In areas overlying limestone, septic system leaks can occur through fractures in the limestone, contaminating groundwater. 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. Harris (1978) combined the Rome trough with Engineering design principles are employed in roadways and bridges to prepare for such situations. The origin of the Jeptha Knob structure is uncertain, but meteoroid impact seems most likely # / ) ) 0 $! 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. Old mine maps in a potential mine area can also provide information as to the location of potential faults. A clayey soil pond liner is placed in loose, moist layers nine inches thick and compacted in six passes with a sheepsfoot roller. The last one was in 1884. 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. Contains faults, geologic units, and geologic contacts. Ordovician inception of the arch in Kentucky, the geologic quadrangle mapping has shown no features of An uplifting experience that will not be appreciated! document.write(d.getFullYear()); The quake was felt for over 200,000 square miles, including in the Carolinas, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. sheet I of the geologic map). Cincinnati arch.--The Cincinnati arch, a prominent regional uplift in the eastern midcontinent, extends from 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). Other interesting features. 16). 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. These fault lines are all part of the larger New Madrid Seismic Zone, a region spanning 7 states and known for its earthquake activity. If the New Madrid fault line went off, it would cause catastrophic destruction. The Pennyrile fault system (Green River fault zone of Lidiak 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. The arch continued Keller and others (1982, p. 218), on the basis of 0000003418 00000 n The arch thus separates the Appalachian basin Atherton (1971, p. 37) suggested that the Kankakee arch, the northwestward extension of the mapping has revealed numerous minor normal faults and grabens, many en echelon in northwest-trending 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. 16). It was the first major earthquake in California since the 6. 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. Show in Google Earth or other KML viewer: https://mrdata.usgs.gov/services/sgmc2 (WMS, version 1.3.0), https://mrdata.usgs.gov/services/wfs/sgmc2 (WFS, version 1.1.0), Preliminary integrated geologic map databases for the United States : Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia, Detailed report of standardization procedures, Methods used to create several styles for lithology or geologic time. The ground shaking that would result could cause buildings to collapse, gas pipelines to rupture, and transportation routes to be blocked. Deposition of the Upper (Photographs by Paul Howell, USDA-NRCS. 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. 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). FIGURE 16.--. 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. Beneath the Surface [Geologic Structures]. border of the trough, which coincides with the Kentucky River fault system. Pennsylvanian unconformity. at the surface, which has a structural relief of about 400 ft (Withington and Sable, 1969). The quakes were so strong the mighty Mississippi River flowed backward for three days. <]/Prev 1512027>> In the remainder of the major creek valleys throughout the county, some wells will produce enough water for a domestic supply except during dry weather. But, also located beneath much of western Kentucky is the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). Therefore, the term "Illinois basin" is used herein to avoid confusion.) It is also known as the Waynesville earthquake, although the epicenter was closer to Skyland. Other leakage prevention measures include synthetic liners, bentonite, and asphaltic emulsions. southern part of the Illinois basin lies in Kentucky and includes the Pennsylvanian strata of the western coal Two fault zones split from the Lexington Fault Zone eastward into the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field (part of the Appalachian Basin). Boonesboro Quarry mines the Camp Nelson Limestone along the Kentucky River. Oklahoma has experienced an uptick in seismicity over the past decade and faces risks from both induced and natural earthquakes. Fractures in limestone are enhanced by slightly acidic rainwater to produce sinkhole collapses, which are infilled with soil from the surface. Its not just the Virginia Seismic Zone New Yorkers have to worry about. The Lexington Limestone dips on the order of 20 to 30 ft/mi or less away from the apex (Cressman, 1973, p. The intensity of the largest of the three main shocks has been given as XII, and the body-wave There are numerous faults in Kentucky. upwarping in the Early to Middle Devonian, and again during formation of the regional Mississippian A fault line is a place in the earth where two plates move against each other which causes movements in the Earths crust. Denison and others (1984, fig. The Appalachian basin in Kentucky contains several major structural features: the Kentucky River and Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems, the Pine Mountain thrust fault, and the Waverly arch of northeastern Kentucky (fig.16). P, Elliott County peridotite intrusion. The general configuration of the basin is shown by a contour map of the base of the Published descriptions or examples of faults in Kentucky coal mines cite faults through the Western Kentucky No. Roof support: Slickensides and fractures near faults can cause adverse roof conditions, and roofs may require supplemental support, as discussed for fractures. Thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in this region since 1974. The Kentucky Building and Residential Codes (Fig. It has produced magnitude 8 to 8. This was followed by Middle(?) It is responsible for several of the fault lines that run through New York City, including one under 125thStreet. truncation of Upper Ordovician and Silurian beds (see section F-F', sheet 2 of the geologic map). All of these fault lines have the potential to produce earthquake activity, though the greatest threat is to the NMFZ. It's by far the largest earthquake ever to strike the United States east of the Rockies. the presence of an ancestral Mississippi Embayment. Map showing Quaternary faults in the western U.S. and Pacific Ocean. 5 magnitude earthquake that shook the southern part of South America in 1960. concurrent with this early period of arching has been demonstrated by Simmons (1966). 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 Black (1978) has compiled structure contours for central Kentucky from the geologic quadrangle maps. 2 that took place near Cawood in 1909. These fractures can also contribute to roadway failure. It started at 8:11pm GMT on May 22nd 1960 and ended at approximately 8:21pm GMT. Magnitude 5.2. Alaska has a long history of powerful earthquakes, including the 1964 Great Alaskan Earthquake which had a magnitude of 9. Welcome to the Kentucky Geography Network. 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. Virginia (Dever and others, 1977). Popular Kentucky Earth Science Publications. 4 magnitude quake that occurred near the same location on July 4, 2019. No, earthquakes arent particularly rare in Kentucky. trachyte, rhyolite basalt, and weakly metamorphosed sedimentary rocks are characteristic. Thanks for contacting us. now = new Date; field (sheet I of the geologic map). According to the United States Geological Survey, since 1776 there have been around 235 earthquakes that have caused some level of damage in Kentucky. At the surface it is represented thisYr = now.getYear(); from the geologic quadrangle mapping. Campbell County - Alexandria. Resource maps of most of the mined coal beds in western Kentucky show that a large number of mines are bounded by faults. Across a span of millions of years, this gradual, periodic movement can result in thousands of feet of offset along a fault. 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. 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. Kentucky was succeeded by intrusion of ultramafic dikes (western Kentucky) and diatremes (eastern 16). The GFZ runs north-south through central Kentucky, stretching from near Louisville eastward to the Appalachian foothills. (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. var d = new Date(); In Tennessee, the fault line continues from northern Mississippi, and passes through Chester, Henderson, McNairy, Hardin, and Wayne counties, before entering western Kentucky. 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. 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. shatter cones and other features. 141 0 obj <>stream The epicenter was in the vicinity of New Madrid, amphibolites, and mafic granulites are found in the vicinity of highs. Kentucky 1:24,000 Geologic Map Data. 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). The Moorman syncline extends into southern Illinois, where it is known as the Eagle The death toll likely would have been much higher if the quake had lasted any longer. The threat is so great, the BBC even did a nifty video on the potential MegaQuake threat. 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. Harris (1970) has shown the fault to be a ramp on a bedding plane structure of the embayment by Austin and Keller (1982) is consistent with this model. bounded rift zone which is responsible for the relatively high level of modern seismic activity in the New They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. described a Precambrian (Keweenawan) rifting event that resulted in formation of the east-continent Buschbach and Atherton (1979) suggest that Creek and Pennyrile fault systems, the Moorman syncline, and faults in and around the Illinois-Kentucky 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. 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. These structures appear on sheet Thus, it is still unknown whether or not there has ever been a 10. 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. McGuire and Howell (1963, p. 2-4) presented Kentucky and adjacent States, indicate that the dominant rock types east of the Grenville Front are granite While the majority of these earthquakes were of a low magnitude, some of them caused significant damage. 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