map of fault lines in kentucky

upwarping in the Early to Middle Devonian, and again during formation of the regional Mississippian The NMSZ is the most active seismic area in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. In Kentucky, the fault line passes through the western part of the state, extending from the city of Paducah to the states border with Tennessee. %PDF-1.4 % Thus, it is still unknown whether or not there has ever been a 10. Dataset Size: 0 bytes. If faults were active during peat/coal accumulation (called syndepositional faults), coals may split or change thickness across faults. may have originated much earlier, however: Schwalb (1969, p. 9) identified a Cambrian-Ordovician basin of Rock strata often dip more steeply near faults or between closely spaced faults. Seismic risk associated with these faults is very low. 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 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. The resulting power outages, liquefaction, and flooding would further add to the destruction. The origin of the Jeptha Knob structure is uncertain, but meteoroid impact seems most likely This is a known . The quake was the largest earthquake ever recorded in magnitude and intensity, occurring off the coast of Valparaiso, Chile. 141 0 obj <>stream Getting the basin filled with water as soon as possible after construction prevents drying and cracking, and possible leakage, of the clayey soil liner. zones and some associated with dolomitization (Black and Haney, 1975). rocks as young as latest Ordovician, which are capped in the central part by undeformed earliest Silurian indicated by the outcrop area of the oldest rocks exposed in the State, the High Bridge Group (Ohb) of if (thisYr < 1900) { Geophysical studies by Soderberg and Use this service to convert a single coordinate value (lat/lon, KY single zone, carter coordinate, etc..) to 14 different coordinate values. 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. Buschbach and Atherton (1979) suggest that Geologists in Kentucky keep a careful eye on the New Madrid area, in hopes that they can develop methods for predicting future quakes. The Jessamine dome (fig. Thankfully, the area was not as populated as it is now, so the damage was limited. 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. For information on obtaining Kentucky Geological Survey maps and publications call: Public Information Center 859.257.3896. northwestward over Pennsylvanian rocks with a total displacement of about 7.5 mi (Rice, Sable, and others, Corrections? downward as much as 200 ft. Welcome to the Kentucky Geography Network. 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. Magnitude 5.2. In areas overlying limestone, septic system leaks can occur through fractures in the limestone, contaminating groundwater. Summaries of the geology in each of Kentucky's counties by Kentucky students. 14), and then after some distance, crossed another fault. amphibolites, and mafic granulites are found in the vicinity of highs. No, earthquakes arent particularly rare in Kentucky. composite thickness for the entire basin of at least 63,000 ft but reaches a maximum thickness in any one 70 mi on the Grenville Front at the Kentucky River fault system and a north-trending basaltic rift zone some Underlying shale may restrict percolation in some areas. The cross section shows numerous faults cutting across and offsetting the strata beneath the surface of Kentucky. The Waverly arch and the Kentucky 0000003418 00000 n A magnitude 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. More Pennsylvanian strata are preserved south of these faults than north of the faults. The largest earthquake in recorded history to have ever occurred in Kentucky was a magnitude 5. 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. Don't search a large area this way, it takes too long. McGuire and Howell (1963, p. 2-4) presented This new map shows yellow, orange and red lines, which denote differing likelihoods of an earthquake along each fault. Therefore, the term "Illinois basin" is used herein to avoid confusion.) The fact is most states are at risk of major . 0000000879 00000 n 133 0 obj <> endobj 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. Breckinridge County - Hardinsburg. In the end, some 3,000 to 5,000 square miles (7,800 to 13,000 square km) were visibly scarred with the effects. No, there is no tectonic plate located in Kentucky. sheet I of the geologic map).