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Research about Kentucky

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Kentucky.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
USGS1994

Paleoecology of the Fire Clay coal bed in a portion of the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field

Vertically continuous increment samples of the Fire Clay coal bed (mid-Middle Pennsylvanian, late Westphalian B), collected from a portion of the Central Appalachian Basin, were studied palynologically, petrographically and geochemically in order to partially reconstruct the paleoecology and processes associated with peat formation in the ancient Fire Clay paleomire. Results indicate that four compositional groups can be identified. They are: (1) a Lycospora —vitrinite dominant group, characterized by high percentages of Lycospora and vitrinite macerals and generally low, but variable ash yields and sulfur contents; (2) a mixed palynoflora-high vitrinite group that petrographically is similar to group 1 except that it contains a more diverse palynoflora; (3) a mixed palynoflora-moderate/low vitrinite group characterized by various admixtures of lycopsid, fern and calamite miospores, increased percentages of liptinite and inertinite macerals, and low ash yields and sulfur contents; and (4) a mixed palynoflora-high ash yield group characterized by high percentages of small lycopsid, fern, and occasionally calamite and cordaite miospores, high liptinite and inertinite contents, high ash yields, and moderate to high sulfur contents. The Fire Clay coal bed contains a distinctive flint clay parting of probable volcanic origin that naturally divides the bed into two benches. These two benches, (upper and lower), are highly disparte in occurrence, appearance and composition. In the study area the lower bench generally is thin (< 0.5 m), laterally discontinuous and mainly composed of dull (mainly durain) coal lithotypes. Ash yields typically are high; sulfur contents generally are moderate to high. Compositional group 4, the mixed palynoflora—high ash yield group defines all of the increments examined from the lower bench. In contrast, the upper bench is thick (> 0.75 m), laterally continous and mainly comprised of bright (mainly clarain) coal lithotypes. Overall ash yields and sulfur contents for this bench are generally low, although vertical variation is apparent. All of the compositional groups occur in the upper bench; in some columns, notably those that are thick and uninterrupted by clastic partings, groups 1 and 4 often occupy basal coal layers and groups 2 and 3 occur in higher layers. Other columns, especially those taken in areas of thin (< 0.5 m) Fire Clay coal, are dominated by groups 1 and 4.

Kentucky↗
USGS1994

Revised correlation chart of coal beds, coal zones, and key stratigraphic units in the Pennsylvanian rocks of eastern Kentucky

This report revises Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1188 (Rice and Smith, 1980). Major revisions to the original correlation chart include formal naming of key marine units in Kentucky and replacement of informally named marine units incorrectly projected into Kentucky from adjacent states. Also included in the report is the proper correlation of some regionally recognized coal bed names that have been incorrectly projected into Kentucky, particularly from Ohio and West Virginia. Besides these additions and corrections, minor changes have been made to the correlation chart, all of which are discussed below in detail. The Pennsylvania rocks of the eastern Kentucky coal field underlie an area of about 27,000 square kilometers (see index map). Largely because of the size and stratigra[hic complexity of the area, Huddle and others (1963, p. 31) divided the coal field into six coal-reserve districts. District boundaries utilize state and county line as well as geologic features, drainage areas, and coal producing areas. Their division is followed herein because, in general, each of the districts has a characteristic stratigraphic nomenclature, particularly with regard to coal bed names. The six districts are the Princess, Licking River, Big Sandy, Hazard, Southwestern, and Upper Cumberland River district is divided into the Middlesboro and Harlan subdistricts. The correlation chart lists most of the stratigraphic units of Pennsylvanian age used in eastern Kentucky, and is concerned principally with coal bed names used in publications since about 1950, especially all of the names of coal beds for which resources and reserves have been calculated. Coal constitutes only a small percentage of the total Pennsylvanian-rock sequence, but is present in as many as 26 major coal zones that have been prospected and mined extensively in all parts of the coal field since the early 1900's. Coal names listed in this chart represent coal beds that have been mined commercially or used locally by residents of the area. Not every coal bed listed under a district in the chart is found in all parts of that district, nor has every coal bed been given a name. For the sake of saving space, coal beds commonly identified as a "rider" coal bed (commonly a minor coal or split above the main bed) or as a "marker" coal bed (a minor coal below the main bed) are not included in the chart because they do not contribute to the overall stratigraphic framework of the coal field. Most of the stratigraphic units listed in the correlation chart are defined and described in detail in almost 200 geologic reports of the Geologic Quadrangle (GQ) Map Series of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). These maps were published as a result of the cooperative geological mapping program of the USGS and the Kentucky Geological Survey; which was begun in 1960 and was completed in 1978. The GQ maps, at a scale of 1:24,000, describe the lithology and local stratigraphy and identify many coal beds by noth local and regional names. Other sources of stratigraphic information and coal bed names used in the construction of the chart include USGS bulletins dealing with the coal resources of single 7.5-minute quadrangles (Englund, 1955; Adkinson, 1957; Welch, 1958; Bergin, 1962). The coal resources of eastern Kentucky as a whole have been described by Huddle and others (1963) and detailed reports on the stratigraphy and coal resources of significant areas in eastern Kentucky have been made by Huddle and Englund (1966) and Englund (1968). An additional source of coal bed names is the SEAMS database, which is jointly sponsored by the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, the Kentucky Geological Survey, and the Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals. The SEAMS database identifies the stratigraphic position and location of all coal beds in the eastern and the western Kentucky coal fields as well as those of bordering areas in adjacent states. The databases includes references to all coal-bed names used in Kentucky, especially those shown on coal company mine maps. Local names of coal beds in the database file that are not generally used in publications are listed in table 1 together with their regional equivalents.

Kentucky↗
USGS1994

Surface-water-quality assessment of the Kentucky River Basin, Kentucky: Fixed-station network and selected water-quality data, April 1987 through August 1991

This report describes selected data-collection activities and the associated data collected during the Kentucky River Basin pilot study of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The data are intended to provide a nationally consistent description and improved understanding of current water quality in the basin. The data were collected at seven fixed stations that represent stream cross sections where constituent transport and water-quality trends can be evaluated. The report includes descriptions of (1) the basin; (2) the design of the fixed-station network; (3) the fixed-station sites; (4) the physical and chemical measurements; (5) the methods of sample collection, processing, and analysis; and (6) the quality-assurance and quality-control procedures. Water-quality data collected at the fixed stations during routine periodic sampling and supplemental high-flow sampling from April 1987 to August 1991 are presented.

Kentucky↗
USGS1994

Summary and interpretation of dye-tracer tests to investigate the hydraulic connection of fractures at a ridge-and-valley-wall site, near Fishtrap Lake, Pike County, Kentucky

Dye-tracer tests were done during 1985-92 to investigate the hydraulic connection between fractures in Pennsylvanian coal-bearing strata at a ridge-and-valley-wall site near Fishtrap Lake, Pike County, Ky. Fluorescent dye was injected into a core hole penetrating near-surface and mining-induced fractures near the crest of the ridge. The rate and direction of migration of dye in the subsurface were determined by measuring the relative concentration of dye in water samples collected from piezometers completed in conductive fracture zones and fractured coal beds at various stratigraphic horizons within the ridge. Dye-concentration data and water-level measurements for each piezometer were plotted as curves on dye-recovery hydrographs. The dye-recovery hydrographs were used to evaluate trends in the fluctuation of dye concentrations and hydraulic heads in order to identify geologic and hydrologic factors affecting the subsurface transport of dye. The principal factors affecting the transport of dye in the subsurface hydrologic system were determined to be (1) the distribution, interconnection, and hydraulic properties of fractures; (2) hydraulic-head conditions in the near-fracture zone at the time of dye injection; and (3) subsequent short- and long-term fluctuations in recharge to the hydrologic system. In most of the dye-tracer tests, dye-recovery hydrographs are characterized by complex, multipeaked dye-concentration curves that are indicative of a splitting of dye flow as ground water moved through fractures. Intermittent dye pulses (distinct upward spikes in dye concentration) mark the arrivals of dye-labeled water to piezometers by way of discrete fracture-controlled flow paths that vary in length, complexity, and hydraulic conductivity. Dye injections made during relatively high- or increasinghead conditions resulted in rapid transport of dye (within several days or weeks) from near-surf ace fractures to piezometers. Injections made during relatively low- or decreasing-head conditions resulted in dye being trapped in hydraulically dead zones in water-depleted fractures. Residual dye was remobilized from storage and transported (over periods ranging from several months to about 2 years) by increased recharge to the hydrologic system. Subsequent fluctuations in hydraulic gradients, resulting from increases or decreases in recharge to the hydrologic system, acted to speed or slow the transport of dye along the fracture-controlled flow paths. The dye-tracer tests also demonstrated that mining-related disturbances significantly altered the natural fracture-controlled flow paths of the hydrologic system over time. An abandoned underground mine and subsidence-related surface cracks extend to within 250 ft of the principal dye-injection core hole. Results from two of the dye-tracer tests at the site indicate that the annular seal in the core hole was breached by subsurface propagation of the mining-induced fractures. This propagation of fractures resulted in hydraulic short-circuiting between the dye-injection zone in the core hole and two lower piezometer zones, and a partial disruption of the hydraulic connection between the injection core hole and downgradient piezometers on the ridge crest and valley wall. In addition, injected dye was detected in piezometers monitoring a flooded part of the abandoned underground mine. Dye was apparently transported into the mine through a hydraulic connection between the injection core hole and subsidence-related fractures.

Kentucky↗
USGS1993

Rock-eval pyrolysis and vitrinite reflectance trends in the Cleveland Shale Member of the Ohio Shale, eastern Kentucky

Within eastern Kentucky, organic petrographic and geochemical data indicate a southeastwards increase in maturation of the Cleveland Shale Member of the Ohio Shale (Devonian-Mississippian). Reflectance levels of dispersed organic material in the Cleveland Shale increase from 0.5% in the outcrop belt in central Kentucky, to slightly over 1.0% in Pike County, eastern Kentucky. A decrease in fluorescence intensity of liptinitic components, such as Tasmanites , accompanies this reflectance increase, as does a shift in fluorescence color of the alginite towards the red. In the highest rank areas, fluorescence is almost absent. Groundmass fluorescence is observed also, and follows trends similar to those shown by the alginite. Kerogen in the Cleveland Shale is primarily Type II, as indicated by petrographic observations and Rock-Eval data. Total organic carbon contents of this shale decrease from over 12% in the outcrop belt, to less than 2% in the eastern-most part of the study area. Source rock potential ranges from good to very good, with the highest potentials occurring in the outcrop belt. T max values for this unit increase from under 430°C in the outcrop belt to over 450°C in the southeast, confirming the increase in maturation trends indicated by vitrinite reflectance data. Both petrographic and geochemical maturation parameters place the Cleveland Shale of eastern Kentucky within the oil window. Comparison with maturation data for Pennsylvanian-age coals upsection suggests that maturation indices are retarded, or suppressed, in the Devonian shales. The level of maturation indicated for the Cleveland may be problematical considering that the Ohio Shale is a major gas-producer in this area.

Kentucky↗
USGS1993

Regionalization of harmonic-mean streamflows in Kentucky

Harmonic-mean streamflow (Qh), defined as the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocal daily streamflow values, was determined for selected stream sites in Kentucky. Daily mean discharges for the available period of record through the 1989 water year at 230 continuous record streamflow-gaging stations located in and adjacent to Kentucky were used in the analysis. Periods of record affected by regulation were identified and analyzed separately from periods of record unaffected by regulation. Record-extension procedures were applied to short-term stations to reducetime-sampling error and, thus, improve estimates of the long-term Qh. Techniques to estimate the Qh at ungaged stream sites in Kentucky were developed. A regression model relating Qh to total drainage area and streamflow-variability index was presented with example applications. The regression model has a standard error of estimate of 76 percent and a standard error of prediction of 78 percent.

Kentucky↗
USGS1993

Geohydrology and quality of shallow ground water at and near the Old Laurel County and G.C. Singleton landfills, Laurel County, Kentucky

Between 1969 and 1983, solid and hazardous waste was deposited at the Old Laurel County and G.C. Singleton Landfills that were developed on a bench created by strip mining for coal. Water-level data from eight monitoring wells indicate that the general direction of groundwater flow in the shallow aquifer is toward Slate Lick, which is at a lower altitude than the landfills. Analyses of water samples from these wells indicate that the water quality near the landfills is similar to that expected in coal strip-mined areas. The pH of groundwater ranged from 4.6 to 6.2 and indicates acidic conditions. Elevated values of specific conductance in groundwater near the landfills may indicate the effects of landfill leachate or acid-mine drainage. The groundwater samples also contained high concentrations of dissolved constituents commonly associated with acid-mine drainage such as aluminum, iron, manganese, sulfate, and zinc. A relatively high concentration of fluoride, 4.5 mg/L, in water from one well may be related to landfill leachate. Except for 3,4-dichloro-benzoic acid, organic constituents were not detected in the groundwater samples. However, because of the widespread use of chemicals containing 3,4-dichloro-benzoic acid, the source of this constituent in the shallow aquifer system near the landfills cannot be determined.

Kentucky↗
USGS1992

Transgressive channel filling in the Breathitt Formation (Upper Carboniferous), Eastern Kentucky Coal Field, USA

Carbonaceous shales of brackish or marine origin in the Breathitt Formation may exhibit sharp bases with local channel-form scours. Minor channels at the bases of these shales exhibit three general types of fill: (1) shale, (2) bioturbated, heterolithic strata, and (3) coal overlain by shale or bioturbated, heterolithic strata. Most of the scours at the bases of the channels were formed during a depositional hiatus that preceded transgression. Some may also have been formed by transgressive reworking of underlying estuarine and deltaic siliciclastics. The channel fills are bioturbated and may contain crudely cyclical rhythmites, subordinate and dominant siltstone-laminae couplets, wave ripples, and bimodal current ripple trends. The fills are interpreted to represent estuarine sedimentation during marine transgression. Channels are capped by sideritic, bioturbated sandstones that separate the fills from the overlying dark shales deposited under brackish- to marine-water conditions. Some of these sandstones may represent local transgressive surfaces. The occurrence of these types of channels in different parts of the coal-bearing Breathitt Formation supports the hypothesis of multiple transgressions during the Late Carboniferous in the Central Appalachian Basin.

Eastern Kentucky Coal Field↗
USGS1991

Examination of micrinite concentrates from the Cannel City coal bed of eastern Kentucky: Proposed mechanism of formation

A high volatile B, micrinite-rich bituminous coal from Morgan County, Kentucky, was crushed and screened to −100 mesh, demineralized and subjected to density gradient centrifugation (DGC). In an initial density separation, micrinite concentration was increased from 52 vol% in the demineralized coal to a maximum of 67% in the 1.25–1.26 g/ml density fraction. Micrinite enriched fractions (1.21–1.29 g/ml) were combined to yield a sample containing ∼61% micrinite. This sample was crushed to −200 mesh in an attempt to enhance micrinite liberation then reprocessed by DGC. Reprocessing resulted in a slight increase in purity to 69 vol% in the 1.25–1.28 g/ml density fraction. The original −100 mesh sample was density separated a second time with the material recovered between 1.22 and 1.30 g/ml combined, crushed, screened past 325 mesh and reprocessed by DGC. Micrinite was recovered at a purity ranging up to 73% (1.27–1.28 g/ml) from the −325 mesh sample. A density of 1.26g/ml and H/C atomic ratio of 0.79 was calculated for micrinite in one of the higher purity micrinite fractions. These values are notably different than published fusinite values and are more similar to vitrinite values measured in high volatile-B coals. The results from this study suggest that the partitioning of micrinite to a density near that of vitrinite was governed by the inherent micrinite density and not particle aggregation. Transition of the micrinite precursors through a mobile liquid phase is proposed as an explanation for the discrepancy between chemical properties and reflectance as well as to account for the observed microlithological occurrences of micrinite in this sample.

Kentucky↗
USGS1991

Low-flow characteristics of Kentucky streams

Low-flow characteristics were determined for 136 continuous-record and 212 low-flow partial-record streamflow gaging stations in Kentucky. Low-flow frequency curves were developed for the continuous-record gaging stations from daily mean streamflows for unregulated periods of 10 years or more. Through graphical correlation with data from one or more of the continuous-record stations, estimates of selected low-flow frequency values were also made at each of the partial-record stations. Techniques are presented to estimate the 7-day 2-year and 7-day 10-year low-flow frequency values for ungaged, unregulated streams in Kentucky. These frequency values were determined at each of the continuous-record gaging stations and were related to basin characteristics and streamflow indices using multiple linear regression. The most significant variables for estimating the 7-day 2-and 10-year low-flow values from the analysis were drainage area and streamflow-variability index. The equations developed to estimate the 7-day 2-year and the 7-day 10-year low flows have a standard error of estimate of 71 and 90 percent, respectively.

Kentucky↗
USGS1988

Regionalization of peak discharges for streams in Kentucky

Multiple regression analysis was used to delineate hydrologically distinct regions in Kentucky, and to develop regression models for estimating peak discharge for unregulated streams in these regions. The regression models provide estimates of flood quantiles with associated average recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. The data base used in the analysis included annual peak discharge records (through water year 1985) at 266 continuous- and partial-record gaging stations in, and adjacent to, Kentucky. Selected drainage basin characteristics upstream of each gaging station were used to develop the regression equations. Flood quantiles at the gaged stations were estimated on the basis of log-Pearson Type III distribution and the methodology recommended by the U.S. Water Resources Council. Seven hydrologic regions were delineated in Kentucky on the basis of analysis of residuals from statewide and regional regression models. Regression models for estimating flood quantiles in the hydrologic regions are based on measurements of contributing drainage area, main channel slope, basin shape index, and main channel sinuosity. The regression coefficients indicated an increase in flood discharge with increasing drainage area and channel slope, and a decrease in discharge with increasing channel sinuosity and basin elongation. Accuracy of the discharge estimates from the regression models as measured by the standard error of the estimate ranged from 21 to 52%. The procedures for estimating flood quantiles vary depending on whether the estimate is for an ungaged site, an ungaged site near a gaged site on the same stream, or a gaged site. Also considered is whether the drainage area crosses hydrologic region boundaries or state lines. The methods apply only to natural flow streams drainage areas < 1 ,000 sq mi.

Kentucky↗
USGS1987

Minimum tailwater flows in relation to habitat suitability and sport-fish harvest

The instream flow needs of four sport fishes (rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri , channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus , smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui , and white crappie Pomoxis annularis ) were evaluated in the tailwater below Green River Lake, Kentucky. The Newcombe method, a simple procedure developed in British Columbia that is based on the distribution of water depths and velocities at various flows, was used to predict usable habitat at seven flows. Predicted usable habitat was two to six times greater for rainbow trout than for any of the other species at all flows. Angler harvest corresponded to the predicted abundance for rainbow trout and smallmouth bass, but the catch of channel catfish and white crappies was seasonally greater than expected. The presence of the dam and reservoir apparently disrupted the normal movement and feeding patterns of these species and periodically overrode the relation between usable habitat and abundance assumed in the Newcombe method. The year-round minimum flow of 4.6 m 3/s recommended for the tailwater would generally increase the amount of habitat available in the tailwater from April through October, and the minimum flow of 2.4 m3/s recommended for periods of drought would allow the maintenance of a trout fishery.

Kentucky↗