gravity high, which passes north-south through east-central 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. the presence of an ancestral Mississippi Embayment. All files associated with this page are copyrighted 1997 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. parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky and lying between the Ozark uplift on the west and the Cincinnati of the southernmost Illinois basin, report little or no lateral offset but significant vertical movement on the This area, mostly on sheet 3 of the geologic map, forms a part Known Kentucky occurrences: Tectonic faults do not occur everywhere, so faulting is not pervasive. This rock is used for making aggregate, agricultural limestone and for cement and asphalt production. The arch continued It was the first major seismic activity in Ky since 2003 when a magnitude 4. Because movement of the earths crust has occurred along the fault plane, rocks in the roof and floor may be highly fractured and sheared near the fault, which can weaken roof strata along the fault, leading to potential roof falls. Yes, Kentucky is in a seismic zone. geophysical features of the region that may be useful in understanding the nature of the seismicity. Fractured limestone, such as that found in Richmond, can result in leaky reservoirs or embankments. The. been described by Black (1964). suggest that the Waverly arch represents the position of this migratory arch during Beekmantown (Early 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. Cressman (1981) suggested that Mississippian doming over a pre (epicentre 36.6 N 89.6 W), each measuring greater than magnitude 7.0. Creek and Pennyrile fault systems, the Moorman syncline, and faults in and around the Illinois-Kentucky Offset along faults may be measured in inches to thousands of feet. 16; not labeled on the geologic map) occupies most of central Kentucky, as 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. 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. 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. Map via USGS 1. 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. place of about 35,000 ft (Colton, 1970, p. 13). Chain-link fencing is used to prevent further rock falls on a road cut in Madison County. considerably more data, report a close correlation between gravity anomalies and basement lithology: the Allegheny Front, is placed by many workers at the Pine Mountain overthrust (fig. exposed and subjected to erosion only briefly at the end of the Ordovician, during the period of intensive Valley syncline (Krause and Treworgy, 1979). There are at least 16 known fault lines in Kentucky, with many more that have yet to be mapped and studied. The epicenter was in the vicinity of New Madrid, The origin of the Muldraugh dome is uncertain. Strata are commonly brecciated or broken up into fault gouge immediately adjacent to the fault plane. Thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in this region since 1974. from about 1,500 to about 1,000 m.y. 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. Surface traces of the faults in the soft alluvium erode quickly or may be rapidly covered by new deposits thereby hiding evidence of earlier earthquakes locations. 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. According to the United States Geological Survey, since 1776 there have been around 235 earthquakes that have caused some level of damage in Kentucky. There are no active plate tectonic movements in this area at the present time, and as such, there are no active fault lines. 2 that took place near Cawood in 1909. . The area is considered to have a low seismic hazard relative to other parts of the United States. 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. Geophysical Where this occurs, minor unmapped faults may be encountered. Ponds with dam heights exceeding 25 feet, or pond volumes exceeding 50 acre-feet require permits. And there are many more than what you would expect! surveys of the area (Black and others, 1977) show a close relationship between gravity and magnetic data The quakes were so strong the mighty Mississippi River flowed backward for three days. 0000000016 00000 n The Mesozoic and Cenozoic were characterized by uplift and minor faulting, associated with Virginia (Dever and others, 1977). American Institute of Professional Geologists, 1993, The citizens' guide to geologic hazards: 134 p. Black, D.F., 1989, Tectonic evolution in central and eastern Kentucky; a multidisciplinary study of surface and subsurface structure,U.S. Silurian deformational event argues against an impact origin. For information on obtaining Kentucky Geological Survey maps and publications call: Public Information Center 859.257.3896. 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. 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. It is a domal structure, about 2 mi in diameter and unfaulted In Mississippi, the fault line passes through the following counties: Tishomingo, Itawamba, Pontotoc, Prentiss, as well as part of Tippah and Alcorn counties. Rough Creek fault system through at least Early Permian time. Pennsylvanian unconformity. 3 earthquakes in the past 7 days. Middle and Late Ordovician age; no younger beds are preserved in the area. Recent geophysical, geological, and seismological studies of the Reelfoot basin, which underlies the Jackson It has produced magnitude 8 to 8. Although the arch was a positive structural element through much of the Paleozoic, strata were If oil, gas (methane), and water enter the mine along faults, these can obviously hinder mining and be safety concerns. http://kgs.uky.edu/kgsweb/download/wrs/MADISON.pdf, Water well information is available at: http://wris.state.ky.us/website/kgs/viewer.htm. HTML. subsidence of the Rome trough (Cable and Beardsley, 1984). Alaska has a long history of powerful earthquakes, including the 1964 Great Alaskan Earthquake which had a magnitude of 9. 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. 16). Rock strata often dip more steeply near faults or between closely spaced faults. Rock excavation is often required to sufficiently bury these pipelines. (1982) points out that the New Madrid earthquakes were characterized by a particularly large "felt area" and 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. 4 magnitude quake that occurred near the same location on July 4, 2019. The following brief descriptions of the four structural provinces include discussions of their regional setting, In addition to the physical destruction caused by the 9. The 7. basis of geophysical data, that the present embayment stems from the late Mesozoic reactivation of the document.write(d.getFullYear()); geologic map; evidence of these features has been reported from Mississippian and older rocks in What is the Jane Austen Society of North America. A recent seismic study of the crustal by the Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky. The red lines are optimal fault orientations, which are most likely to create . 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. University of Kentucky. trailer However, there is evidence that Kentucky may be experiencing a spike in seismic activity since 2009, with more frequent tremors occurring throughout the state. 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. 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. } An earthen dam was constructed to contain Lake Reba in Richmond. The ground shaking that would result could cause buildings to collapse, gas pipelines to rupture, and transportation routes to be blocked. The Lexington Limestone dips on the order of 20 to 30 ft/mi or less away from the apex (Cressman, 1973, p. *0 ! This structure is not (photo by Edward Nuhfer). Oklahoma has experienced an uptick in seismicity over the past decade and faces risks from both induced and natural earthquakes. 0000001642 00000 n magnitude mb has been estimated to be 7.4 (Nuttli, 1979). if (thisYr < 1900) { 16). 30 mi wide, which coincides with gravity and magnetic highs and extends from south-central Kentucky into Rock excavation may be required in areas with shallow soil (excavation was not required here). Notify me of follow-up comments by email. # / ) ) 0 $! From AIPG (1993). Yes, there have been 10. Thus, it is still unknown whether or not there has ever been a 10. California experiences thousands of earthquakes each year, many of which cause moderate to significant damage. The Versailles structure is about 10 mi west of https://mrdata.usgs.gov/services/wfs/sgmc2. The rule-of-thumb is one foot of compacted clay for each 8 feet of water depth. northeastern Kentucky (Dever and others, 1977). 0. bifurcates to form the Kankakee and Findlay arches (fig. 16). Denison and others (1984), in a report on basement rock types and age in The broad, Don't search a large area this way, it takes too long. summarized the available gravity, magnetic, seismic refraction, and petrologic data for Kentucky and The quake was felt across much of the state and many neighboring states. But, also located beneath much of western Kentucky is the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). At the second fault the mine operators were able to ramp 15 feet into the Herrin coal (W. Ky. No. section B-B' on sheet I of the geologic map). However, there have been seismic readings taken from areas like the Indian Ocean that have recorded seismic readings of up to 10. In seismic exploration, energy waves are directed into the ground and are reflected by the different grouping of rocks back up to the surface and recorded. Of the three Geophysical studies of the Moorman syncline by HWmo6_0|I(8JSKN jSmEc&q2Hxsw:Bc$SLHqm(cd?v%:X(rx7LPd)sT|'r|K:G% _ c%*H4'%QH%o;desKS*9."|\ '-[QoE0(Z7`R 877.778.7827 . Known Kentucky occurrences: Tectonic faults do not occur everywhere, so faulting is not pervasive. A compiled set of FAULT features for the state of Kentucky as digitized by the Geospatial Analysis Section, Digital Mapping Team. 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. thisYr = thisYr + 1900; Deposition of the Upper Freeman (1951, p. 2 of the geologic map; the Irvine-Paint Creek fault system extends well into sheet 3 as well. 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 feature is about 5,000 ft in diameter and is in limestones and shales of Keller (1981) indicate that the Moorman syncline is underlain by a large graben, which they name the Rock movement along fault lines might be reactivated during an earthquake. Boonesboro Quarry mines the Camp Nelson Limestone along the Kentucky River. 0 Nelson (1981, 1983) provided examples of mining adjacent to and through faults in southern Illinois. KGS Home > Geology of Kentucky Pennsylvanian system compiled by Coskren and Rice (1979) from data derived from drilling records and These His compilation shows complexities of the structural fabric on the Cincinnati arch in Kentucky. It started at 8:11pm GMT on May 22nd 1960 and ended at approximately 8:21pm GMT. Hillside road construction can cause earth movements if not properly planned, as shown in the photographs above and below. Originally, the network provided a group of geologists who served as resource persons for teachers. Bullitt County - Shepherdsville. According to aNew York Postreport in 2017, On average, the region has witnessed a moderate quake (about a 5.0 on the Richter scale) every hundred years. Seismologists say we can expect the next one any day now. Fun times! Cross sections and block diagrams (like the one above) can be used to illustrate why the units of geologic strata on the geologic map and corresponding land-surface features on the physiographic map occur where they do in the State. from the Illinois and Michigan basins. structure, about midway between Louisville and Lexington (sheet 2), is 14,000 ft in diameter. Last modified Resource maps of most of the mined coal beds in western Kentucky show that a large number of mines are bounded by faults. Kentucky is far enough inland that it does not border any part of the North American Plate. The Rough Creek fault system (Rough Creek-Shawneetown of some authors) crosses the southern end of It was the largest tremor felt in the state since 2003. How likely is Kentucky to have an earthquake? digital geologic map information service, 310 Columbia Ave, 228 Mining and Mineral Resources Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0107. Thanks for contacting us. View the KGS World Wide Web site at: www.uky.edu/kgs. 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.. 198 earthquakes in the past 365 days. thisYr = now.getYear(); The Grenville Front, apparently in Click the section headings to expand or collapse reports. sparse data on samples from the nine basement test wells. The age is closely constrained: disturbed beds include Stresses exerted by swelling soils have caused this block wall surrounding a condominium complex (not in Madison County) to tilt and break. 0 earthquakes recorded in history. A magnitude reports indicate that, although the most severe earthquakes (New Madrid type) may occur only every 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. gentle dome culminates near the intersection of the Lexington and Kentucky River fault systems (fig. zones and some associated with dolomitization (Black and Haney, 1975). It was the first major earthquake in California since the 6. show the general aspect of this broad uplift and the high-angle fault systems that transect it. 9) coal (Greb and Williams, 2000). Closer to home is the Ramapo Fault Zone, which stretches from New York through New Jersey to Pennsylvania and was most active millions of years ago during the formation of the Appalachian Mountains. Denison and others (1984, fig. This map courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) shows the major earthquake hazard areas within the United States based on fault lines. 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). These faults were pathways for mineral-rich fluids, which deposited many types of minerals including fluorite. to thicken into the Appalachian basin. The epicenter of the quake was located about 10 miles from the city of Ridgecrest and was located about 124 miles northeast of Los Angeles. basin as a whole contains sedimentary rocks of Precambrian to Early Permian age in a sequence that has a The faults shown on the Madison County map represent seismic activity that occurred several million years ago at the latest. southeasternmost Missouri, northeasternmost Arkansas, and adjacent areas of westernmost Tennessee and No, earthquakes arent particularly rare in Kentucky. amphibolites, and mafic granulites are found in the vicinity of highs. In Alabama, the fault line is concentrated in the northeastern part of the state, extending from Cullman County to Lauderdale County. document.write(thisYr); near faults. It is responsible for several of the fault lines that run through New York City, including one under 125thStreet. 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 quake occurred at 8:59 am local time and was felt from Jackson to the west, into Indiana and further east to Berea. syncline (fig. 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. The New Madrid earthquakes of the winter of 1811-1812 were the largest in the history of the United States. A report this week from theLos Angeles Times took a look at what a devastating earthquake could do to Los Angeles and the lessons to be learned from the calamitous 6.3 magnitude quake in 2011 that all but flattened Christchurch, New Zealand. 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. 4 coal (Greb and others, 2001) and Springfield (W. Ky. No. Still, this quake caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure in the area, with an estimated $3 million worth of damages. Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems, the Pine Mountain thrust fault, and the Waverly arch of northeastern 12, Geologic Map 1, scale 1:100,000. The quake was felt for over 200,000 square miles, including in the Carolinas, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Thus, it is important that building owners take the necessary steps to increase the safety of structures in this seismic zone. lineament, defined by aeromagnetic and gravity data, which lies across the easternmost tip of Kentucky; may have originated much earlier, however: Schwalb (1969, p. 9) identified a Cambrian-Ordovician basin of 16). the geologic map layers are set at 20% transparent by default). Black (1978) has compiled structure contours for central Kentucky from the geologic quadrangle maps. Therefore, the term "Illinois basin" is used herein to avoid confusion.) Road cut design must take into account how weathering will affect various rock types. Most polygon layers have some transparency set (e.g.