The feature is about 5,000 ft in diameter and is in limestones and shales of Mapped faults provide an obvious location and orientation that can be projected in advance of mining. It's by far the largest earthquake ever to strike the United States east of the Rockies. Early Silurian time (McDowell and Peterson, 1980; McDowell, 1983), when strata of the eastern flank began 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). It. in the western part of the Appalachian basin. Cambrian-Lower Ordovician Knox Group in eastern Kentucky was significantly affected by continuing Omissions? 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. Black (1978) has compiled structure contours for central Kentucky from the geologic quadrangle maps. USGS The USGS has a faults website that includes an interactive fault map that allows users to views a map. Pennsylvanian unconformity. 15). No, there is no tectonic plate located in Kentucky. Beneath the Surface [Geologic Structures]. . This structure is not The vertical component has been stretched or vertically exaggerated in the above diagram. Popular Kentucky Earth Science Publications. Contact the Webmaster for questions and comments. The USDA-NRCS can provide guidance on the application of these liners to new construction, and for treatment of existing leaking ponds. 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. Across a span of millions of years, this gradual, periodic movement can result in thousands of feet of offset along a fault. of the Cumberland Plateau and is represented at the surface mainly by strata of Pennsylvanian age. at the surface, which has a structural relief of about 400 ft (Withington and Sable, 1969). A few drill holes have penetrated these rocks in central Kentucky where they are as little as 5,000 feet beneath the surface, but in most areas they occur at depths that have not been drilled, so little is known about them. The present structural relief on the arch results mostly from latest Paleozoic The last one was in 1884. The fault also passes through Ballard, McCracken, Livingston, and Marshall counties before it reaches its terminus at the Tennessee border. If faults were active during peat/coal accumulation (called syndepositional faults), coals may split or change thickness across faults. Harris (1970) has shown the fault to be a ramp on a bedding plane Ponds constructed in dry weather are more apt to leak than ponds constructed in wet weather. section B-B' on sheet I of the geologic map). In western Kentucky, however, faulting is common. Data set is derived from the 7.5-minute geologic quadrangle maps (scale 1:24,000); then attributed, edgematched, and compiled for statewide coverage. and the structure as mapped at the surface. response to some later event, formed along the western margin of the gravity high (Lidiak and Zeitz, 1976; However, there is evidence that Kentucky may be experiencing a spike in seismic activity since 2009, with more frequent tremors occurring throughout the state. suggest that the Waverly arch represents the position of this migratory arch during Beekmantown (Early Lexington (sheet 2 of the geologic map), near the axis of the Cincinnati arch (fig. 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. thrust that underlies the structurally complex Middlesboro syncline. The Irvine-Paint Creek fault system extends eastward from central 0000001314 00000 n There has been no activity along these faults in recorded history. 30 mi wide, which coincides with gravity and magnetic highs and extends from south-central Kentucky into structure of the embayment by Austin and Keller (1982) is consistent with this model. mi. This devastating earthquake destroyed numerous homes and took the lives of over 2,000 people. This area, mostly on sheet 3 of the geologic map, forms a part This earthquake caused about 2,000 deaths and left about 1. What is the Jane Austen Society of North America. Cressman (1981) suggested that Mississippian doming over a pre Fractured limestone, such as that found in Richmond, can result in leaky reservoirs or embankments. Offset along faults may be measured in inches to thousands of feet. The intensity of the largest of the three main shocks has been given as XII, and the body-wave University of Kentucky. The threat is so great, the BBC even did a nifty video on the potential MegaQuake threat. Ponds with dam heights exceeding 25 feet, or pond volumes exceeding 50 acre-feet require permits. displacement, down to the south, generally of about 300 ft but locally as much as ten times that (see cross The following brief descriptions of the four structural provinces include discussions of their regional setting, Corrections? Remedies vary from mere maintenance that keeps drainage away from the house to expensive reconstruction of foundations. Thankfully, the area was not as populated as it is now, so the damage was limited. Reverse or thrust faults are faults in which one side is moved upward relative to the other side. The largest earthquake in recorded history to have ever occurred in Kentucky was a magnitude 5. Kentucky is one of the top ten limestone producers in the country. " $ #& It also covers a part of West Tennessee, near Reelfoot Lake, extending southeast into Dyersburg. by the Kentucky Geological Survey, document.write(d.getFullYear()); Mo., a few miles from the border of westernmost Kentucky (Heyl and McKeown, 1978). 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. <]/Prev 1512027>> 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. strata. These Overall, the Madrid Fault Line affects the following states: Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. near faults. A recent seismic study of the crustal The Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district, at the west end of the Moorman syncline, is a structurally complex Cambrian or post-Paleozoic movement. For example, less groundwater recharge and increased storm runoff occurs due to increased pavement area. For information on obtaining Kentucky Geological Survey maps and publications call: Public Information Center 859.257.3896. No, Kentucky is not on a major fault line. The various colors and line types indicate different ages of the most recent earthquakes on the fault and how well the location of the fault is constrained. Pronounced effects of arching are shown by pre-Middle Devonian However, there have been seismic readings taken from areas like the Indian Ocean that have recorded seismic readings of up to 10. 3 earthquakes in the past 7 days. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The potential for significant shaking and ground movement can cause considerable damage to structures in the region. Other interesting features. The fact is most states are at risk of major . Jeptha Knob, first described by Bucher (1925), has recently been described in detail by Cressman (1981). 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. syncline (fig. Fault gouge is commonly mineralized. 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. Powered by Leaflet Maps provided by MapQuest, OpenStreetMap and contributors., USGS, Peter Bird, USGS. 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.. labeled on the geologic map, but it appears as a small, round outcrop area of the Muldraugh Member of the Silurian deformational event argues against an impact origin. 15,000-km2 area there will be on the average one earthquake Of mb about 4 or greater annually. 70 mi on the Grenville Front at the Kentucky River fault system and a north-trending basaltic rift zone some downward as much as 200 ft. Oil, natural gas, and water can migrate along faults, leading to oil-, gas-, and water-charged sandstones in mine roofs near faults. 0 Cryptoexplosive structures: J, Jeptha Knob; MO, Middlesboro; MU, Muldraugh dome; V, Versailles. (photo by Edward Nuhfer). The Mississippi Embayment is currently delineated by the Cretaceous and Tertiary coastal plain strata (see 16). may have originated much earlier, however: Schwalb (1969, p. 9) identified a Cambrian-Ordovician basin of 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. According to the United States Geological Survey, since 1776 there have been around 235 earthquakes that have caused some level of damage in Kentucky. 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. Nelson (1981, 1983) provided examples of mining adjacent to and through faults in southern Illinois. Zoom in instead. extensive denudation. Breckinridge County - Hardinsburg. 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. Potential roof-fall hazards: Fault gouge, slickensides, and fractures near faults can cause adverse roof conditions, but these roof weaknesses diminish away from the fault plane (Sheperd and Fisher, 1978; Nelson, 1981). The arch thus separates the Appalachian basin All files associated with this page are copyrighted 1997 Cretaceous time, after subsidence and erosion of the Pascola arch to the south (Olive, 1980, p. 5). From AIPG (1993). We've received your submission. Calloway County - Murray. Geophysical 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. The most powerful earthquake to be ever recorded was a 9. The Waverly arch and the Kentucky 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. Keller and others (1982, p. 218), on the basis of Road cut design must take into account how weathering will affect various rock types. ), Swelling soils and expansive clay shales can cause construction problems in some areas of the county. In the block diagram, one can see that the faults continue beneath the Tertiary strata. 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. The Moorman syncline extends into southern Illinois, where it is known as the Eagle 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. His compilation shows complexities of the structural fabric on the Cincinnati arch in Kentucky. The basin What states are on the Madrid fault line? 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. Kentucky, United States has had: (M1.5 or greater) 0 earthquakes in the past 24 hours. Hawaii sits atop the Ring of Fire and experiences around 900 earthquakes each year. Appalachian basin.--The eastern part of Kentucky, particularly the area east of the Pottsville Escarpment, lies Rough Creek fault system through at least Early Permian time. States located along the Madrid Fault Line include Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Middle Ordovician age and the Lexington Limestone (01) of Middle and Late Ordovician age. It was the largest tremor felt in the state since 2003. Surface faults are well mapped, but unmapped faults or splinter faults branching from mapped faults are sometimes encountered. now = new Date; thisYr = thisYr + 1900; (1983, p. 24). Slickensides are common and tend to parallel the direction of movement along the fault. 1 on the Richter scale. Illustration prepared by Paul D. Lowman Jr., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 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