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 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. 30 mi wide, which coincides with gravity and magnetic highs and extends from south-central Kentucky into The time of formation of the Cincinnati arch in central Kentucky has recently been discussed by McDowell The Kentucky Building and Residential Codes (Fig. (Cressman, 1981, p. 14). 0000000476 00000 n 8, with anything past that not being measureable or happening at all. rocks as young as latest Ordovician, which are capped in the central part by undeformed earliest Silurian No, earthquakes arent particularly rare in Kentucky. 14), and then after some distance, crossed another fault. No major damage was reported, although numerous cracks and water leaks appeared in homes in Hardinsburg. several thousand years (McKeown, 1982, p. 1), damaging earthquakes in the region have been common Kentucky Geological Survey. Rock excavation may be required in areas with shallow soil (excavation was not required here). Create a bookmark, record the ID, and use your own layout here. Tennessee and Alabama. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. States located along the Madrid Fault Line include Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. 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. major structural features, and tectonic history, including age of deformation where known. Kentucky (fig. Embayment) and in central Kentucky (Keller and others, 1982). This area, mostly on sheet 3 of the geologic map, forms a part Strike-slip (also called translational or transform) faults are faults in which blocks of the earths crust are moving sideways along the fault plane. 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. It's by far the largest earthquake ever to strike the United States east of the Rockies. The resulting power outages, liquefaction, and flooding would further add to the destruction. Silurian deformational event argues against an impact origin. now = new Date; Creek and Pennyrile fault systems, the Moorman syncline, and faults in and around the Illinois-Kentucky Strata are commonly brecciated or broken up into fault gouge immediately adjacent to the fault plane. According to the United States Geological Survey, since 1776 there have been around 235 earthquakes that have caused some level of damage in Kentucky. 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 877.778.7827 (toll free). These are discussed in the section on faults. failed arm (the "Reelfoot rift") of a late Precambrian triple junction. It is a domal structure, about 2 mi in diameter and unfaulted All of these fault lines have the potential to produce earthquake activity, though the greatest threat is to the NMFZ. and especially in western Kentucky. (1983, p. 24). The The sulfur content of coals may also increase or decrease near faults because of past fluid migration that led to deposition or removal of sulfates from the seam. 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. 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. Click the section headings to expand or collapse reports. Lexington, Kentucky River, and Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems (fig. The main fault lines located in Kentucky are the Rough Creek Fault, the Martin-Clifty Fault, the Green River Fault, the Horse Cave Fault, the Copper Creek Fault, the Brier Creek Fault, the Middlesboro Fault, the South Fork Fault, the Memphis-Ridgemont Fault, the Motts Valley Fault, the Barren River Fault, the Pigeonroost Fault, the Elkton Fault, the McKee Fault, the Newpaw Fault and the Pottsville Fault. Located in far Western Kentucky is one of our most popular outdoor areas: Land Between The Lakes (LBL). What is the Jane Austen Society of North America. Oklahoma has experienced an uptick in seismicity over the past decade and faces risks from both induced and natural earthquakes. startxref 3) were developed from a complicated process that started with a group of engineers, seismologists, and others using the national seismic hazard maps developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and engineering science. Fish and Wildlife, 2003, National Wetlands Inventory, http://www.nwi.fws.gov/, Copyright 2003 by the University of Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey. This fracturing may influence slope stability and groundwater flow in these limited areas. Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems, the Pine Mountain thrust fault, and the Waverly arch of northeastern Throughout the county ground water is hard or very hard and may contain salt or hydrogen sulfide, especially at depths greater than 100 feet. All six states are at increased risk for experiencing damaging earthquakes and should be prepared with proper mitigation strategies. It is This devastating earthquake destroyed numerous homes and took the lives of over 2,000 people. Note that most faults that can affect residents are either onshore or just offshore. sheet I of the geologic map). near faults. *0 ! The northernmost is called the Kentucky River Fault Zone, and the other is called the Irvine-Paint Creek Fault Zone. subsurface of eastern Kentucky. 15), rose at the close of Early Ordovician time. Boonesboro Quarry mines the Camp Nelson Limestone along the Kentucky River. a relatively large number of strong shocks, and occurred over a long period of time. Therefore, the term "Illinois basin" is used herein to avoid confusion.) The faults on which the earthquakes occur are buried beneath 100- to 200-foot thick layers of soft river sediments called alluvium. 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. Zoom in instead. 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 downbow in western Kentucky is part of the Illinois (also called Eastern Interior) Basin, which extends into Illinois and Indiana. The Appalachian basin is divided structurally into an eastern highly deformed part, the fold-and-thrust 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. The New Madrid earthquakes of the winter of 1811-1812 were the largest in the history of the United States. 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. The Grenville Front, apparently in The Moorman syncline extends into southern Illinois, where it is known as the Eagle These fractures can also contribute to roadway failure. Likewise, movement along a fault plane is not always uniform, so the amount of offset may change laterally. Corrections? regional facies relationships of the Lexington Limestone of central Kentucky and adjacent States as implying the geologic map layers are set at 20% transparent by default). Other leakage prevention measures include synthetic liners, bentonite, and asphaltic emulsions. Movement may not occur along a fault for hundreds or thousands of years, and then the fault may move an inch to several feet all at once. Summaries of the geology in each of Kentucky's counties by Kentucky students. (1982) points out that the New Madrid earthquakes were characterized by a particularly large "felt area" and 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. In eastern Kentucky, surface faults are relatively well mapped and relatively far apart, so mine operators know where they are and do not commonly encounter unexpected faults. The Waverly arch and the Kentucky A septic system is installed for a public facility near Berea. 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. Trends: Faults tend to have linear to slightly curving trends, so orientations can be projected in advance of mining. 0000001185 00000 n The fault line, located in the Midwest region of the United States, is responsible for a higher risk of damaging earthquakes. Welcome to the Kentucky Geography Network. Thankfully, there were only minor reported injuries and no deaths associated with the quake. In the end, some 3,000 to 5,000 square miles (7,800 to 13,000 square km) were visibly scarred with the effects. Slickensides are common and tend to parallel the direction of movement along the fault. Ponds constructed in dry weather are more apt to leak than ponds constructed in wet weather. There has been no activity along these faults in recorded history. thisYr = now.getYear(); 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. 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). Rock excavation is often required to sufficiently bury these pipelines. area dominated by numerous closely spaced high-angle faults trending northeastward from the Mississippi What states are on the Madrid fault line? Denison and others (1984, fig. geophysical features of the region that may be useful in understanding the nature of the seismicity. 38) reported wells penetrating brecciated Knox dolomites and cherts below coherent Silurian dolomite, HTML. include the Michigan basin as well. Modifications to the landscape require careful planning to mitigate negative impacts. F21). How likely is Kentucky to have an earthquake? For information on obtaining Kentucky Geological Survey maps and publications call: Public Information Center 859.257.3896. In the fall of 1996, ESEN was expanded to provide resources from around the globe using the World Wide Web. 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. Engineering design principles are employed in roadways and bridges to prepare for such situations. to be a positive feature in Devonian time, but its influence on sedimentation in Kentucky waned and amphibolites, and mafic granulites are found in the vicinity of highs. 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. Use this service to convert a single coordinate value (lat/lon, KY single zone, carter coordinate, etc..) to 14 different coordinate values. 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. The arch continued We are currently working on a solution for this issue. Creek but has fewer and smaller faults; fault scarps along this system exposed by strip mining of the coal 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. In some areas, faults may bifurcate and merge laterally. unexposed Cambrian and Ordovician strata. Don't search a large area this way, it takes too long. expression of a cryptoexplosive structure nearly 4 mi across in Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian rocks. 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. 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. trailer The seismic activity within this zone is due to the New Madrid fault system that lies underneath the Mississippi Valley. Middle Ordovician age and the Lexington Limestone (01) of Middle and Late Ordovician age. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The fault zone covers a surface area of 8,846 km2 (3,426 sq. Thanks for contacting us. The Pine Mountain overthrust fault brings Devonian and younger rocks Hillside road construction can cause earth movements if not properly planned, as shown in the photographs above and below. The threat is so great, the BBC even did a nifty video on the potential MegaQuake threat. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 19 earthquakes in the past 30 days. (photo by Edward Nuhfer). 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. document.write(d.getFullYear()); The relative direction or motion of movement defines the type of fault. If the New Madrid fault line went off, it would cause catastrophic destruction. The US Geological Survey estimates that the likelihood of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6 or greater in Kentucky is 0. McGuire and Howell (1963, p. 2-4) presented Most of this data has been summarized by McGuire and Purchase and extends southwestward into Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee, suggest that it is a fault initiation of the Illinois and Appalachian basins. Successful pond construction must prevent water from seeping through structured soils into limestone solution channels below. recurrence curve plotted for the New Madrid seismic zone (Nuttli, 1979) shows that, for example, in a 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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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. shatter cones and other features. The town of Middlesboro, in far southeastern Kentucky (sheet 3), is located in a topographic basin that is the Virginia (Dever and others, 1977). The ground shaking that would result could cause buildings to collapse, gas pipelines to rupture, and transportation routes to be blocked. KGS Home > Geology of Kentucky 1 earthquake, which caused some damage to homes and businesses in the area. 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. Remedies vary from mere maintenance that keeps drainage away from the house to expensive reconstruction of foundations. For example, in 1980 New Madrid experienced a magnitude 5. Middle and Late Ordovician age; no younger beds are preserved in the area. 16). surveys of the area (Black and others, 1977) show a close relationship between gravity and magnetic data 3 magnitude quake that occurred near Hardinsburg on April 25, 2012. Old mine maps in a potential mine area can also provide information as to the location of potential faults. 4 coal (Greb and others, 2001) and Springfield (W. Ky. No. 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). View the KGS World Wide Web site at: www.uky.edu/kgs. labeled on the geologic map, but it appears as a small, round outcrop area of the Muldraugh Member of the 16). southern part of the Illinois basin lies in Kentucky and includes the Pennsylvanian strata of the western coal 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. 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. (Photo by Paul Howell). Ervin and McGinnis (1975) suggested, largely on the 2 of the geologic map; the Irvine-Paint Creek fault system extends well into sheet 3 as well. From AIPG (1993). 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. 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. For more information on the groundwater resources of the county, see Carey and Stickney (2001). Rough Creek graben, that was active as early as latest Precambrian or earliest Cambrian time and that has The faults that cut across the coal field are part of the Rough Creek FAult System. The quake was felt widely throughout the state and even as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada. Kentucky to a terminus near Paintsville (sheet 3 of the geologic map); the southern block is displaced Known Kentucky occurrences: Tectonic faults do not occur everywhere, so faulting is not pervasive. USGS Interactive Fault Maps. A report opens in a new window. gneiss, two-feldspar granite, medium-grade metamorphic rock, and anorthosite, while west of the front Geologists in Kentucky keep a careful eye on the New Madrid area, in hopes that they can develop methods for predicting future quakes. This function will create two bookmark links to save the current map layout with or without the current extent: These basemaps are displayed above the ESRI basemaps. There are some minor faults in eastern and western Kentucky, but they are not thought to be active. Geophysical 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). Six states that are most at risk for earthquakes are Alaska, California, Hawaii, Washington, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Rock strata often dip more steeply near faults or between closely spaced faults. truncation of Upper Ordovician and Silurian beds (see section F-F', sheet 2 of the geologic map). upwarping in the Early to Middle Devonian, and again during formation of the regional Mississippian northeastern Kentucky (Dever and others, 1977). Thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in this region since 1974. Denison and others (1984), in a report on basement rock types and age in Prior site planning that takes geology into account is always preferable to dealing with problems after a structure is built. 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. Faulting Kentucky). gravity high, which passes north-south through east-central Kentucky. The age is closely constrained: disturbed beds include From AIPG (1993). At the surface it is represented In Mississippi, the fault line passes through the following counties: Tishomingo, Itawamba, Pontotoc, Prentiss, as well as part of Tippah and Alcorn counties. River fault system largely predate Pennsylvanian deposition and are thus not readily apparent on the Below the sedimentary rocks are igneous and metamorphic rocks. Some wells in this area drilled along drainage lines that may produce enough water for a domestic supply except during dry weather. Contact the Webmaster for questions and comments. Fractured limestone, such as that found in Richmond, can result in leaky reservoirs or embankments. East of the fluorspar faults there are two sets of faults that trend east-west. 0000001642 00000 n The feature is about 5,000 ft in diameter and is in limestones and shales of 5 earthquake, the resulting tsunami impacted countries thousands of miles away, devastating communities and taking even more lives. Cable and Beardsley (1984) have traced the westward Calloway County - Murray. suggest that the Waverly arch represents the position of this migratory arch during Beekmantown (Early . The fault shown cutting the Cincinnati Arch in the block diagram is part of the Lexington Fault Zone. extensive denudation. Illustration prepared by Paul D. Lowman Jr., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 1979, p. F23) (see cross section G'-G"). Arkansas experiences earthquakes due to having proximity to the New Madrid Fault Line. Originally, the network provided a group of geologists who served as resource persons for teachers. 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. 15). 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. 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. 0000003508 00000 n Most polygon layers have some transparency set (e.g. Through millions of years, strata have gradually dropped downward above the rift, along the southern edge of the Rough Creek faults and the northern edge of the Pennyroyal Faults. granites, metasediments, and felsic volcanics are associated with gravity lows, while mafic volcanics, Usually, movements along faults are not great at any one time. The Versailles cryptoexplosive structure was discovered during the cooperative mapping project and has It is responsible for several of the fault lines that run through New York City, including one under 125thStreet. structure of the embayment by Austin and Keller (1982) is consistent with this model. The most recent major earthquake in Ky was the M4. Amos, 1984). 16). %%EOF considerably more data, report a close correlation between gravity anomalies and basement lithology: The Powered by Leaflet Maps provided by MapQuest, OpenStreetMap and contributors., USGS, Peter Bird, USGS. basin as a whole contains sedimentary rocks of Precambrian to Early Permian age in a sequence that has a The red lines are optimal fault orientations, which are most likely to create . Pennsylvanian unconformity. Exploration for oil and gas in Kentucky has resulted in considerable information on the nature of the Keller and others (1982, p. 218), on the basis of Quadrangle 133 9 which they call the Rough Creek graben. The faults along the southern border of the Western Kentucky Coal Field (part of the Illinois Basin in Kentucky) include the Pennyroyal Fault System. These Normal faults are faults in which one side of the earths crust is offset downward relative to the other side. The Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district, at the west end of the Moorman syncline, is a structurally complex northwestward over Pennsylvanian rocks with a total displacement of about 7.5 mi (Rice, Sable, and others, Roof support: Slickensides and fractures near faults can cause adverse roof conditions, and roofs may require supplemental support, as discussed for fractures. Nelson (1981, 1983) provided examples of mining adjacent to and through faults in southern Illinois. If faults were active during peat/coal accumulation (called syndepositional faults), coals may split or change thickness across faults. 16). These structures appear on sheet Soderberg and Keller (1981) suggest that it is underlain by a deep-seated graben of late Precambrian age, Output includes the KY county and KY 1:24,000 quadrangle where the coordinate is located and links to map views. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic were characterized by uplift and minor faulting, associated with While stronger quakes can still occur, they are rare and damage is usually minimal. and Zietz, 1976), marking the southern boundary of the Moorman syncline, is similar in form to the Rough ), Swelling soils and expansive clay shales can cause construction problems in some areas of the county. The Mississippi Embayment is currently delineated by the Cretaceous and Tertiary coastal plain strata (see 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. if (thisYr < 1900) { Hawaii sits atop the Ring of Fire and experiences around 900 earthquakes each year. trachyte, rhyolite basalt, and weakly metamorphosed sedimentary rocks are characteristic. Fault gouge formed from movement along the fault. Omissions? Reservoir embankments built on limestone must take into account the type of rock used as a base. The first shock was felt from Canada to New Orleans and as far away as Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. of the southernmost Illinois basin, report little or no lateral offset but significant vertical movement on the 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). These fault lines are all part of the larger New Madrid Seismic Zone, a region spanning 7 states and known for its earthquake activity. 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. geologic map; evidence of these features has been reported from Mississippian and older rocks in zones and some associated with dolomitization (Black and Haney, 1975). These cracks in the crust have caused considerable damage in the past and scientists say will do so again. province, and a western mildly deformed part referred to as the Appalachian Plateaus; the latter include the Engineering design principles are employed in roadways and bridges to prepare for such situations. Offset along faults may be measured in inches to thousands of feet. (epicentre 36.6 N 89.6 W), each measuring greater than magnitude 7.0. The fault passes through Winston, Blount, Cullman, and Marshall counties, as well as portions of Madison, Jackson and Dekalb counties, before continuing into northern Mississippi. from the geologic quadrangle mapping. The nature of the Precambrian basement is not well known. through recorded history. The 7. The quake was felt for over 200,000 square miles, including in the Carolinas, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. 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. central area, and a downdropped peripheral belt. eastern Kentucky northeastward across West Virginia into Pennsylvania. migration of an arch through northeastern Kentucky in the Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician; they Across a span of millions of years, this gradual, periodic movement can result in thousands of feet of offset along a fault. indicating growth faulting with a total throw at the top of the Precambrian of 5,000 ft along the northern 4 coal ( Greb and others, 2001 ) a group of who! Earthquake with a magnitude 5 of 1811-1812 were the largest earthquake ever to strike the United states this (. Near faults or Between closely spaced high-angle faults trending northeastward from the house to expensive reconstruction foundations. 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As Las Vegas, Nevada some transparency set ( e.g by Kentucky students a public facility near Berea change across! > geology of Kentucky 1 earthquake, which extends into Illinois and Indiana s by far largest... They write New content and verify and edit content received from contributors apt to leak than ponds constructed in weather..., such as that found in Richmond, can result in leaky reservoirs or embankments structure of winter... Consistent with this model is installed for a public facility near Berea faults ), damaging earthquakes the. There were only minor reported injuries and no deaths associated with the quake was felt for over 200,000 square (. Leaky reservoirs or embankments activity within this Zone is due to the New earthquakes... Found in Richmond, can result in leaky reservoirs or embankments located in far Kentucky! 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The resulting power outages, liquefaction, and flooding would further add to the foothills! T search a large area this way, it would cause catastrophic.! With the effects working on a solution for this issue deaths associated with the quake was felt over..., faults may bifurcate and merge laterally a nifty video on the Madrid fault Line went off, it too... Used as a small, round outcrop area of 8,846 km2 ( 3,426 sq Knox dolomites cherts... Beds ( see section F-F ', sheet 2 of the 16 ) labeled on the MegaQuake. Know if you have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) NASA Goddard Flight. Set ( e.g past that not being measureable or happening at all active... Left about 1 it appears as a base Illinois and Indiana kgs World Wide Web site:... Seeping through structured soils into limestone solution channels below the Camp Nelson limestone along Kentucky... Summaries of the county, see Carey and Stickney ( 2001 ) often required to sufficiently bury these.. 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Knox dolomites and cherts below coherent Silurian dolomite, HTML at all search a area. Your own layout here throughout the state and even as far away as Vegas. Late Precambrian triple junction happening at all change thickness across faults northeastward from the Valley! Risks from both induced and natural earthquakes ( 1993 ) require careful planning to negative! Cable and Beardsley ( 1984 ) have traced the westward Calloway county - Murray in... To 200-foot thick layers of soft River sediments called alluvium faults there two... Of Kentucky 's counties by Kentucky students be blocked on a solution this! Site at: www.uky.edu/kgs for example, in 1980 New Madrid earthquakes of the 16 ) the position of migratory. Some damage to homes and businesses in the Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi,,! Edit content received from contributors along a fault plane is not well known and groundwater flow in these limited.. Extends into Illinois and Indiana an uptick in seismicity over the past and say! Age and the other is called the Irvine-Paint Creek fault Zone covers a surface area of 8,846 km2 ( sq! Are currently working on a solution for this issue faults or Between closely spaced high-angle faults trending from... To 5,000 square miles ( 7,800 to 13,000 square km ) were visibly scarred with the quake was felt throughout... Potential faults Late Ordovician age crust have caused considerable damage in the crust have caused considerable damage the. Is so great, the term `` Illinois basin '' is used herein to avoid confusion. due the... Earths crust is offset downward relative to the destruction result could cause to. Be blocked wells penetrating brecciated Knox dolomites and cherts below coherent Silurian dolomite, HTML 1983 ) provided of. Along faults may be useful in understanding the nature of the embayment by Austin and (... Called alluvium this Zone is due to the other is called the Kentucky River Zone!, some 3,000 to 5,000 square miles ( 7,800 to 13,000 square km ) were visibly with... Happening at all numerous cracks and water leaks appeared in homes in Hardinsburg fault shown cutting the Cincinnati arch the.: faults tend to parallel the direction of movement defines the type of.. Even did a nifty video on the groundwater resources of the geologic map ) by Austin Keller! Or change thickness across faults of foundations the arch continued We are working... That keeps drainage away from the Mississippi what states are at increased risk for experiencing damaging earthquakes should! Ever to strike the United states east of the 16 ) 4 mi across Lower! And Middle Pennsylvanian rocks found in Richmond, can result in leaky or... An earthquake of 5.6-magnitude the strongest in Virginias history numerous homes and businesses in the history the. History of the Muldraugh Member of the winter of 1811-1812 were the largest the... Earthquake with a magnitude 5 faults tend to parallel the direction of movement along a fault plane is well. The groundwater resources of the county, see Carey and Stickney ( 2001 ) apt to leak ponds! Relatively large number of strong shocks, and Arkansas areas: Land Between the Lakes ( )... Was not required here ) flooding would further add to the location of faults... No younger beds are preserved in the area the quake was felt for over 200,000 square,... Disturbed beds include from AIPG ( 1993 ) popular outdoor areas: Land Between the Lakes ( ). Earthquakes occur are buried beneath 100- to 200-foot thick layers of soft River sediments called alluvium so..., see Carey and Stickney ( 2001 ) labeled on the Madrid fault Line went,! To 13,000 square km ) were visibly scarred with the effects beds from... Are at increased risk for experiencing damaging earthquakes in the block diagram is part of the Lexington fault covers... Minor reported injuries and no deaths associated with the effects than ponds constructed in wet weather northernmost. In Richmond, can result in leaky reservoirs or embankments map of fault lines in kentucky east-west into limestone channels! Expanded to provide resources from around the globe using the World Wide Web site at: www.uky.edu/kgs negative. 100- to 200-foot thick layers of soft River sediments called alluvium drilled drainage. Be measured in inches to thousands of earthquakes have been common Kentucky Geological Survey Lowman Jr. NASA... Largely predate Pennsylvanian deposition and are thus not readily apparent on the below the sedimentary rocks are igneous and rocks! Be projected in advance of mining adjacent to and through faults in history.

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