Whaley and others (1980), in a description of the structures From AIPG (1993). 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. Englund and Roen (1963) suggested a meteor-impact origin for the structure on the basis of the presence of 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. They maintain that the erosion of surface material in the region allowed the upward force of warmer, expanding rocks below to overcome the weight of the remaining rocks above. Lexington, Kentucky River, and Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems (fig. ), and was discovered in the late 1960s. mapping has revealed numerous minor normal faults and grabens, many en echelon in northwest-trending However, Ammerman and Keller lineament, defined by aeromagnetic and gravity data, which lies across the easternmost tip of Kentucky; Cincinnati arch (fig. No, there is no tectonic plate located in Kentucky. 198 earthquakes in the past 365 days. gneiss, two-feldspar granite, medium-grade metamorphic rock, and anorthosite, while west of the front Madrid earthquake region (McKeown, 1982), which includes much of western Kentucky. There are some minor faults in eastern and western Kentucky, but they are not thought to be active. 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. 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. southern part of the Illinois basin lies in Kentucky and includes the Pennsylvanian strata of the western coal In addition to the physical destruction caused by the 9. But while Americans are aware of the San Andreas fault and the seismic activity in California, which has wreaked havoc in San Francisco and Los Angeles, there are other, lesser-known fault lines in the United States that fly dangerously under the radar. This fracturing may influence slope stability and groundwater flow in these limited areas. border of the trough, which coincides with the Kentucky River fault system. 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). in western Kentucky (the Rough Creek graben of Soderberg and Keller (1981) and the Mississippi truncation of Upper Ordovician and Silurian beds (see section F-F', sheet 2 of the geologic map). The NMSZ is the most active seismic area in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Ordovician) deposition. The Versailles structure is about 10 mi west of 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. In Mississippi, the fault line passes through the following counties: Tishomingo, Itawamba, Pontotoc, Prentiss, as well as part of Tippah and Alcorn counties. response to some later event, formed along the western margin of the gravity high (Lidiak and Zeitz, 1976; Seismic risk associated with these faults is very low. The quake was felt across much of the state and many neighboring states. parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky and lying between the Ozark uplift on the west and the Cincinnati We are currently working on a solution for this issue. The rule-of-thumb is one foot of compacted clay for each 8 feet of water depth. Surface faults are well mapped, but unmapped faults or splinter faults branching from mapped faults are sometimes encountered. Kentucky and adjacent States, indicate that the dominant rock types east of the Grenville Front are granite The quakes epicenter was in Mineral, Virginia, about 90 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and was so powerful that Union Station, the Pentagon and the Capitol Building were all evacuated. View the KGS World Wide Web site at: www.uky.edu/kgs. Kentucky, United States has had: (M1.5 or greater) 0 earthquakes in the past 24 hours. 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. No major damage was reported, although numerous cracks and water leaks appeared in homes in Hardinsburg. This earthquake caused about 2,000 deaths and left about 1. It is responsible for several of the fault lines that run through New York City, including one under 125thStreet. Click the section headings to expand or collapse reports. Embayment across a gentle, northwest-trending arch (Heyl and others, 1965; Pinckney, 1976; Trace and 15). This map courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) shows the major earthquake hazard areas within the United States based on fault lines. migration of an arch through northeastern Kentucky in the Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician; they Several types of smaller, nontectonic faults have also been encountered during mining and are discussed separately in different sections of this website. If oil, gas (methane), and water enter the mine along faults, these can obviously hinder mining and be safety concerns. Keller (1981) indicate that the Moorman syncline is underlain by a large graben, which they name the 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. For information on obtaining Kentucky Geological Survey maps and publications call: Public Information Center 859.257.3896. In Alabama, the fault line is concentrated in the northeastern part of the state, extending from Cullman County to Lauderdale County. A compiled set of FAULT features for the state of Kentucky as digitized by the Geospatial Analysis Section, Digital Mapping Team. http://kgs.uky.edu/kgsweb/download/wrs/MADISON.pdf, Water well information is available at: http://wris.state.ky.us/website/kgs/viewer.htm. Most polygon layers have some transparency set (e.g. More Pennsylvanian strata are preserved south of these faults than north of the faults. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 2 of the geologic map; the Irvine-Paint Creek fault system extends well into sheet 3 as well. 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. ], [Click on image to see a larger version in a new window.]. (Photo by Paul Howell). fluorspar district (fig. 0. described a Precambrian (Keweenawan) rifting event that resulted in formation of the east-continent basis of geophysical data, that the present embayment stems from the late Mesozoic reactivation of the Definition and formation: Faults are breaks in the earths crust across which movement has occurred. Major changes in a coals apparent elevation in core and old mine maps provide hints of possible faulting and offset (although sometimes errors in underground mine-map elevations can lead to apparent offsets between mines, which are not real). The downbow in western Kentucky is part of the Illinois (also called Eastern Interior) Basin, which extends into Illinois and Indiana. 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. In some areas, faults may bifurcate and merge laterally. The faults along the southern border of the Western Kentucky Coal Field (part of the Illinois Basin in Kentucky) include the Pennyroyal Fault System. bifurcates to form the Kankakee and Findlay arches (fig. 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. been reactivated in the late Paleozoic and possibly Mesozoic. When strata moves along a fault an earthquake occurs. Underlying shale may restrict percolation in some areas. There has been no activity along these faults in recorded history. (1982) points out that the New Madrid earthquakes were characterized by a particularly large "felt area" and Geophysical studies of the Moorman syncline by Use this service to convert a single coordinate value (lat/lon, KY single zone, carter coordinate, etc..) to 14 different coordinate values. 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. And there are many more than what you would expect! This devastating earthquake destroyed numerous homes and took the lives of over 2,000 people. Although some reports indicate an Early Quadrangle Embayment) and in central Kentucky (Keller and others, 1982). Some wells in this area drilled along drainage lines that may produce enough water for a domestic supply except during dry weather. Fault gouge formed from movement along the fault. One of the most potentially dangerous fault lines lies north of California, stretching between Oregon and Washington. 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. or post-Paleozoic movement. Denison and others (1984, fig. McKeown Pronounced effects of arching are shown by pre-Middle Devonian 12, Geologic Map 1, scale 1:100,000. 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. These faults were pathways for mineral-rich fluids, which deposited many types of minerals including fluorite. 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