https://mrdata.usgs.gov/services/wfs/sgmc2. Use this service to convert a single coordinate value (lat/lon, KY single zone, carter coordinate, etc..) to 14 different coordinate values. 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. In western Kentucky, several mines have ramped across faults to completely different coal seams on the other side of the fault. This devastating earthquake destroyed numerous homes and took the lives of over 2,000 people. Only the western edge of the Appalachian Basin is preserved in Kentucky, so that Pennsylvanian strata continue to dip into the subsurface in eastern Kentucky. bounded rift zone which is responsible for the relatively high level of modern seismic activity in the New Rock movement along fault lines might be reactivated during an earthquake. A report opens in a new window. from the Illinois and Michigan basins. Webb (1969) and Silberman (1972) have interpreted subsurface data as subsidence of the Rome trough (Cable and Beardsley, 1984). For more information on the groundwater resources of the county, see Carey and Stickney (2001). The origin of the Muldraugh dome is uncertain. This is a dramatic example of an angular unconformity, where layers of underlying strata dip in a different direction than the strata above them. The general configuration of the basin is shown by a contour map of the base of the 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. and Kankakee arches on the north and east (fig. 16). 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). Ervin and McGinnis (1975) suggested, largely on the sparse data on samples from the nine basement test wells. Kentucky). 0000001642 00000 n Natural gas piplines (30-inch mains) are laid across a new subdivision in Kingston, Madison County. 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. amphibolites, and mafic granulites are found in the vicinity of highs. northeastern Kentucky (Dever and others, 1977). Don't search a large area this way, it takes too long. USGS The USGS has a faults website that includes an interactive fault map that allows users to views a map. Some seismologists believe that the maximum magnitude for a quake is 9. Corrections? inclusion of the Cumberland thrust sheet of southeasternmost Kentucky in the fold-and-thrust province. The Mississippi Embayment is currently delineated by the Cretaceous and Tertiary coastal plain strata (see Of the three Kentucky and adjacent States, indicate that the dominant rock types east of the Grenville Front are granite 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. Use the search capabilities of the KyGovMaps Open GIS Data . 0000000476 00000 n However, Ammerman and Keller There are no active plate tectonic movements in this area at the present time, and as such, there are no active fault lines. 8). The Kentucky River fault system has been extended eastward, through recorded history. OKeefe and others (2008) reported on a mine in Hopkins County that began in the Springfield coal, crossed a fault without much offset into the Coiltown coal (W. Ky. No. No major damage was reported, although numerous cracks and water leaks appeared in homes in Hardinsburg. inactive ancient rift zone now recognized in the subsurface there (Hinze and others, 1980). Cincinnati arch.--The Cincinnati arch, a prominent regional uplift in the eastern midcontinent, extends from 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. Recent geophysical, geological, and seismological studies of the Reelfoot basin, which underlies the Jackson Thus, it is important that building owners take the necessary steps to increase the safety of structures in this seismic zone. Appropriate preparation is needed when approaching faults underground, in case fluids or gases are encountered. Still, this quake caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure in the area, with an estimated $3 million worth of damages. Originally, the network provided a group of geologists who served as resource persons for teachers. unexposed Cambrian and Ordovician strata. 5) also show right lateral offset of about 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. the presence of an ancestral Mississippi Embayment. Keller and others (1982, p. 218), on the basis of (epicentre 36.6 N 89.6 W), each measuring greater than magnitude 7.0. The origin of the Jeptha Knob structure is uncertain, but meteoroid impact seems most likely Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Butler County - Morgantown. 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. Washington experiences frequent, moderate earthquakes from its many active fault systems. 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 Mott's Valley Fault, the Barren River Fault, the Pigeonroost Fault, the Elkton Fault, now = new Date; Pennsylvanian system compiled by Coskren and Rice (1979) from data derived from drilling records and 0000001185 00000 n 141 0 obj <>stream Keller and others, 1982, p. 220). Branches of the fault extend into Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Throughout the county ground water is hard or very hard and may contain salt or hydrogen sulfide, especially at depths greater than 100 feet. 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. Quadrangle thisYr = now.getYear(); Contact the Webmaster for questions and comments. response to some later event, formed along the western margin of the gravity high (Lidiak and Zeitz, 1976; Two fault zones split from the Lexington Fault Zone eastward into the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field (part of the Appalachian Basin). 0000001314 00000 n All files associated with this page are copyrighted 1997 Embayment) and in central Kentucky (Keller and others, 1982). Fish and Wildlife, 2003, National Wetlands Inventory, http://www.nwi.fws.gov/, Copyright 2003 by the University of Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey. 4 coal (Greb and others, 2001) and Springfield (W. Ky. No. Getting the basin filled with water as soon as possible after construction prevents drying and cracking, and possible leakage, of the clayey soil liner. McKeown The 9. What states are on the Madrid fault line? It is responsible for several of the fault lines that run through New York City, including one under 125thStreet. We've received your submission. migration of an arch through northeastern Kentucky in the Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician; they Dams should be constructed of compacted clayey soils at slopes flatter than 3 units horizontal to 1 unit vertical. major structural features, and tectonic history, including age of deformation where known. Beneath the Surface [Geologic Structures]. 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. ], [Click on image to see a larger version in a new window.]. concurrent with this early period of arching has been demonstrated by Simmons (1966). And there are many more than what you would expect! Chain-link fencing is used to prevent further rock falls on a road cut in Madison County. The general configuration of the basin is shown by a contour map of the base of the at the surface, which has a structural relief of about 400 ft (Withington and Sable, 1969). Appalachian basin.--The eastern part of Kentucky, particularly the area east of the Pottsville Escarpment, lies 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. 3 magnitude quake that occurred near Hardinsburg on April 25, 2012. trailer characterized at the surface by concentric and radial faults, an uplifted, brecciated, and partly dolomitized Geophysical thrust that underlies the structurally complex Middlesboro syncline. basin as a whole contains sedimentary rocks of Precambrian to Early Permian age in a sequence that has a The nature of the Precambrian basement is not well known. It was the first major earthquake in California since the 6. indicated by the outcrop area of the oldest rocks exposed in the State, the High Bridge Group (Ohb) of *0 ! 30 mi wide, which coincides with gravity and magnetic highs and extends from south-central Kentucky into and especially in western Kentucky. (Photographs by Paul Howell, USDA-NRCS. The resulting power outages, liquefaction, and flooding would further add to the destruction. Yes, Ky has had a major earthquake in the past. Fault gouge is commonly mineralized. The fractures are covered by thick layers of rock, which in turn are . Most polygon layers have some transparency set (e.g. 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. Pronounced effects of arching are shown by pre-Middle Devonian section B-B' on sheet I of the geologic map). 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. The arch thus separates the Appalachian basin 877.778.7827 (toll free). syncline (fig. Lexington, Kentucky River, and Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems (fig. Rough Creek fault system through at least Early Permian time. The epicenter was in the vicinity of New Madrid, magnitude mb has been estimated to be 7.4 (Nuttli, 1979). Bullitt County - Shepherdsville. 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. The Pine Mountain overthrust fault brings Devonian and younger rocks The quake was felt across much of the state and many neighboring states. For example, in 1980 New Madrid experienced a magnitude 5. Specifically, the region of Kentucky is in the Central and Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, which is classified as a high hazard by the United States Geological Survey. Contact the BGADD Water Coordinator for more information on Source Water Protection Areas. At the surface it is represented A compacted clay liner, or artificial liner, may prevent pond failure. (The Illinois basin is referred to in some reports, for example, Sable (1979), as the Eastern Interior basin; others, such as Snyder (1968), use the latter term to 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. To select data from a rectangular area, hold the Ctrl key (use Cmd key on Macs) and drag the pointer. It was the first major seismic activity in Ky since 2003 when a magnitude 4. But, also located beneath much of western Kentucky is the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). 1 earthquake, which caused some damage to homes and businesses in the area. Yes, Kentucky is in a seismic zone. Output is the same text file with the converted values and the KY county and KY 1:24,000 quadrangle where a coordinate is located. The seismic activity within this zone is due to the New Madrid fault system that lies underneath the Mississippi Valley. Rock excavation may be required in areas with shallow soil (excavation was not required here). Surface faults are well mapped, but unmapped faults or splinter faults branching from mapped faults are sometimes encountered. include the Michigan basin as well. document.write(thisYr); Borden Formation (Mbf) at the east margin of sheet 3 about 4 mi south of the Ohio River. which they call the Rough Creek graben. The basin In most cases, faulting impedes mining and forms the boundary of a mine, so adverse roof conditions adjacent to faults lead to entries along mine boundaries being abandoned. 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 Breckinridge County - Hardinsburg. Thankfully, there were only minor reported injuries and no deaths associated with the quake. Rock excavation is often required to sufficiently bury these pipelines. Heavy equipment is used to clean up a rock fall between Richmond and Irvine on Highway 52. Contains faults, geologic units, and geologic contacts. The relative direction or motion of movement defines the type of fault. 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 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. Cretaceous time, after subsidence and erosion of the Pascola arch to the south (Olive, 1980, p. 5). No, Pine Mountain in Kentucky is not a fault line. bifurcates to form the Kankakee and Findlay arches (fig. by the Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky. 16). Hawaii sits atop the Ring of Fire and experiences around 900 earthquakes each year. <]/Prev 1512027>> At the second fault the mine operators were able to ramp 15 feet into the Herrin coal (W. Ky. No. Overall, the Madrid Fault Line affects the following states: Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. failed arm (the "Reelfoot rift") of a late Precambrian triple junction. Virginia (Dever and others, 1977). Cumberland Plateau of Kentucky and Tennessee. States located along the Madrid Fault Line include Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Kentucky was succeeded by intrusion of ultramafic dikes (western Kentucky) and diatremes (eastern rocks as young as latest Ordovician, which are capped in the central part by undeformed earliest Silurian In some cases, coals become mineralized (calcite veins, etc.) Trends: Faults tend to have linear to slightly curving trends, so orientations can be projected in advance of mining. southeasternmost Missouri, northeasternmost Arkansas, and adjacent areas of westernmost Tennessee and Cincinnati arch (fig. River fault system largely predate Pennsylvanian deposition and are thus not readily apparent on the The A magnitude In some areas, faults may bifurcate and merge laterally. No, earthquakes arent particularly rare in Kentucky. No, there is no tectonic plate located in Kentucky. 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. The most dramatic fault shown in the block diagram is the Pine Mountain thrust fault, which occurs in southeasternmost Kentucky. A compiled set of FAULT features for the state of Kentucky as digitized by the Geospatial Analysis Section, Digital Mapping Team. 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. var d = new Date(); 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. Creek but has fewer and smaller faults; fault scarps along this system exposed by strip mining of the coal If faults were active just after peat/coal accumulation, roof rocks may change rock type or thickness across faults. Thousands of milder aftershocks occurred daily for more than a year. FIGURE 16.--. A description of meteor impact sites and other interesting features. 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 fault passes through Winston, Blount, Cullman, and Marshall counties, as well as portions of Madison, Jackson and Dekalb counties, before continuing into northern Mississippi. Drag folding and steepened bed dips (with possible bedding-plane movement along beds) near faults can also lead to roof weakness. Embayment across a gentle, northwest-trending arch (Heyl and others, 1965; Pinckney, 1976; Trace and Rough Creek graben, that was active as early as latest Precambrian or earliest Cambrian time and that has Fractured limestone, such as that found in Richmond, can result in leaky reservoirs or embankments. place of about 35,000 ft (Colton, 1970, p. 13). 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. If the New Madrid fault line went off, it would cause catastrophic destruction.