Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Foundation Problems And Pyrite Oxidation In The Chattanooga Shale, Estill County, Kentucky, Warren H. Anderson

Report of Investigations--KGS

Pyrite oxidation in the Chattanooga Shale has caused serious foundation problems in numerous buildings and structures in Estill County, Ky. Pyrite oxidizes and various secondary sulfates form when excavated shale or shale fill are used in foundations. These secondary sulfates are water- and humidity-sensitive and can form when only minor amounts of water are present in foundation materials. These sulfates form by crystal growth and expand by volume change, which causes subsequent soil expansion and heaving of any foundation materials when the materials are confined. Several structures have undergone expensive remediation to repair damaged sidewalks, floors, walls, and foundations. Zones …

Assessing The Felt Reports Of The 1811-12 New Madrid Earthquakes In The Central United States, Ron Street, John D. Kiefer, Jerry L. Raisor

Report of Investigations--KGS

The damage and felt reports describing the New Madrid, Mo., earthquakes of 1811-12 need to be assessed in the historical context in which the events occurred. Log cabins in the frontier settlements along the lower Ohio River Valley, for example, were built with a rudimentary form of base isolation, and their response to the earthquakes should not be evaluated in the same way that a modern wood-frame or brick building would be.

Also, inaccuracies have crept into the databases used for estimating the epicenters and magnitudes of the earthquakes. For example, the magnitude of the December 16, 1811, earthquake has …

Groundwater Quality In Watersheds Of The Big Sandy River, Little Sandy River, And Tygarts Creek (Kentucky Basin Management Unit 5), R. Stephen Fisher, Bart Davidson, Peter T. Goodmann

Report of Investigations--KGS

The Kentucky Geological Survey and the Kentucky Division of Water are evaluating groundwater quality throughout the commonwealth to determine regional conditions, assess impacts of nonpoint-source contaminants, provide a baseline for tracking changes, and provide essential information for environmental-protection and resource-management decisions. These evaluations include summarizing existing regional groundwater-quality data and reporting the results of expanded, focused groundwater collection programs in specific areas. This report summarizes groundwater sampling and analysis in Kentucky basin management unit 5 (watersheds of the Big Sandy River, Little Sandy River, and Tygarts Creek in eastern Kentucky).

Thirty wells and springs were sampled quarterly between the fall …