EarthScope US Seismic Array
The Giles County, Virginia, Seismic Zone Seismological Results and Geological Interpretations By G. A. BOLLINGER and RUSSELL L. WHEELER U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1355 A description of a newly recognized seismogenic zone, with contributions towards evaluation of its seismic hazard.^sn%. Map of the study area showing various tectonic attributes of the Southeastern United States. DISCLAIMER. 2. Initial work has been focused on the epicentral area of the 2011 M5.8 Mineral earthquake. While the information presented on this website is believed to be correct, SEAOC /OSHPD and its sponsors and contributors assume no responsibility or liability for its accuracy. Federal Facility Criteria: Department of Veterans Affairs. On August 23rd 2011, Virginiaâs largest recorded seismic event shook central Virginia, causing almost $90 million in local damages. It includes the counties of Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, and Wythe. Boxes denote aftershock areas used in Figure 3 . The development of a comprehensive ArcGIS (geographic information system) fault geodatabase for Virginia; Confirmation of existing fault mapping in Virginia using geological field studies; Use newly released (2012, 2104) high-resolution LiDAR data for the 2011 epicentral area to help identify possible new faults; Development of a comprehensive Virginia earthquake epicenter database and report containing location and damage information; General earthquake hazard assessment to identify communities and infrastructure at greatest risk of future earthquake damage; Presentation of data products and outreach materials to planners and emergency management agencies in seismically active areas to help reduce earthquake hazards in Virginia. For thousands of years, humans have observed the occurrence of seismic events across the world. In addition, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management provided funding through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant program to reduce the impact of future earthquakes. Figure 5. To access this application, as well as the seismic design maps on which it is based, go to U.S. Seismic Design Maps. Change / Revision Date: 11-01-2016. Most earthquakes in Virginia are not associated with a known fault, but occur within three distinct seismic zones: the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone (ETSZ) includes Lee County in far southwestern Virginia; the Giles County Seismic Zone (GCSZ) extends through the New River Valley; and the Central Virginia Seismic Zone (CVSZ) includes the cities of Richmond and Charlottesville. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Map shows the strength of ground shaking that has a 1 in 50 chance of being exceeded in a particular place in the lower 48 states over a period of 50 years. Virginia Seismic Zone. Distance: 0.0 mi. Use our IBC Seismic Design Categories map to easily obtain the seismic design category and spectral response acceleration parameter (Section 1613 of the IBC 2015) for any location in the contiguous United States, Puerto Rico and Alaska. VA Seismic Zone Map . Earthquakes in Virginia are not associated with a specific fault underground, rather they are associated with three major seismic zones: the Central Virginia Seismic Zone (CVSC), the Giles County Seismic Zone (GCSZ), and finally the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone (ETSZ). The Central Virginia Seismic Zone is hard to find on seismic activity maps because the quakes within the zone usually happen very deep undergroundâso by the time the seismic ⦠Ê
Close the pop-up. The largest zone, and site of the 2011 earthquake epicenter, is in Central Virginia⦠Cloud Manchester Sheridan Durham Fayetteville Coatsville Canadaigua Syracuse Castle Point Albany Providence Newington West Haven Northport Montrose Bronx Brooklyn/ St. Albans NYC East Orange Lyons Philadelphia Wilmington ⦠The largest damaging earthquake (magnitude 5.9) in the seismic zone occurred in 1897. To access USGS earthquake information without using javascript, use our Magnitude 2.5+ Earthquakes, Past Day ATOM Feed or our other earthquake feeds .
Home (current) About; Report an Issue; Contact; Search for Address or Coordinates Reference. The earthquake occurred in the Virginia Seismic Zone, located in the Piedmont region. Earthquakes are shown as circles sized by magnitude (red, < 1 hour; blue, < 1 day, yellow, < 1 week). 1897 05 31 - Giles County, Virginia - M 5.9 2003 05 05 - Virginia - M 3.9 2003 12 09 - Virginia - M 4.5 2011 08 23 - Louisa County, Virginia - M 5.8. The main work on reviewing the national seismic maps was performed in 2006 and, thus, reflects the state-of-the-art at that time. View/Download: PDF. The earthquake's epicenter and most of the aftershocks lie between the surface traces of two structures, the Spotsylvania Fault, a southeast dipping zone of high ductile strain, and the Chopawamsic Fault, a thrust fault. Stafford fault zone shown as black lines immediately east of the DEM base map (Figure from Burton et al, 2014 and modified from Mixon and Newell, 1977; Mixon et al., 2000; and Tarr and Wheeler, 2006). a 4.5 magnitude earthquake occurred near Richmond, Virginia, and was felt as far south as Raleigh. The largest zone, and site of the 2011 earthquake epicenter, is in Central Virginia. The Virginia Piedmont area was formed originally as part of a zone of repeated continental collisions that created the ancestral Appalachian Mountains, a process that started during the Ordovician period with the Taconic orogeny and finished during the Carboniferous Period with the Alleghanian orogeny. “Know Your Zone” serves roughly 1.25 million residents who live in Coastal Virginia, the region of the state most vulnerable to hurricanes and other tropical storms. By the time Lewis and Clark arrived on the West Coast in 1805, it had been 105 years since the Cascadia Subduction Zone last ruptured, sending a large portion of the Pacific Ocean roaring toward the coast. There is a similar seismic zone in western Virginia called the Giles County Seismic Zone (GCSZ). If the application does not load, try our legacy Latest Earthquakes application. Although these seismic zones have been defined, there remains much to learn about seismicity in the Commonwealth. In comparison, Virginia is situated in the middle of a tectonic plate and rests on a passive margin. In the case of the 2011 earthquake, scientists knew it originated in the Central Virginia Seismic Zone, but it didnât line up with any previously mapped faults. According to the USGS, two distinct seismic zones are located in Virginia. However, it wasn’t until the discovery of the Cascadia Fault in the 1… About WBDG. has received far less attention than the New Madrid, Charleston, and Central Virginia Seismic Zones, which have all had historic, destructive earthquakes (Coffman et al., 1982). Click or tap on a circle to view more details about an earthquake, such as location, date/time, magnitude, and links to more information about the quake. The eastern coast of the United States marks the boundary between continental and oceanic crust, but the North America… Although Virginia has many faults, nearly all of them are inactive. Generalized geologic map of the central Virginia Piedmont with faults and earthquakes (M>2, 1973â2011). ... [The Central Virginia Seismic Zone west of Rich-mond and Pembroke Faults near Blacksburg in southwest Virginia.] This project was completed and delivered to VDEM in May 2017. The Central Virginia Seismic Zone and the Giles County Seismic Zone. 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