Basement faults and seismicity in the Appalachian Basin of New York State

Landsat lineaments identified by Earth Satellite Corporation (EARTHSAT, 1997) can be groundtruthed across the Appalachian Basin of New York State (NYS). Both fracture intensification domains (FIDs) and faults are observed in outcrop along the lineaments. Confirmation of deep structure associated with the surface structure is provided by both well log analyses and seismic reflection data (primarily proprietary). Additional faults are proposed by comparing the lineament locations with gravity and magnetic data. The result is a web of basement faults that crisscross New York State. By overlaying epicenter locations on the fault/lineament maps, it is possible to observe the spatial correlation between seismic events and the faults. Every seismic event in the Appalachian Basin portion of NYS lies on or near a known or suspected fault. It thus appears that not only are there more faults than previously suspected in NYS, but also, many of these faults are seismically active.