Diapiric origin of the Blytheville and Pascola arches in the Reelfoot rift, east-central United States: Relation to New Madrid seismicity

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Geology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1990)018<1158:DOOTBA>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:5679967

McKeown, F A; Diehl, S F; Glick, E E ^[1]; Hamilton, R M ^[2]

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1. U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (USA)
2. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA (USA)

Most of the earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone correlate spatially with the Blytheville arch and part of the Pascoal arch, which are interpreted to be the same structure. Both arches may have formed by diapirism along the axis of the Reelfoot rift. Seismic, geophysical, and drill-hole data indicate that the rocks in the arches are highly deformed and fractured and have gross lithologic properties that make them weaker than rocks adjacent to the arches. The weaker rocks are inferred to fail seismically more readily than the stronger rocks adjacent to the arches.

• OSTI ID: 5679967
• Journal Information: Geology; (USA), Vol. 18:11; ISSN 0091-7613
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
ARKANSAS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
ORIGIN
SEISMICITY
MISSOURI
TENNESSEE
BOREHOLES
CORRELATIONS
DEFORMATION
EARTHQUAKES
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
LITHOLOGY
ROCK MECHANICS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
WELL LOGGING
CAVITIES
FEDERAL REGION IV
FEDERAL REGION VI
FEDERAL REGION VII
MECHANICS
NORTH AMERICA
SEISMIC EVENTS
SURVEYS
USA
580000* - Geosciences