The Virginia seismic zones in the U.S. state of Virginia include the Giles County seismic zone and the Central Virginia seismic zone. Earthquakes in the state are irregular and rarely reach over 4.5 in magnitude.

Shown are geographic and post-Paleozoic tectonic features of the Central Virginia seismic zone and surrounding area on 30 m DEM base, showing epicenters of historic and recent earthquakes and known sites of paleoliquefaction.

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 ...

The data shown in table 1 are estimates of the most accurate epicenter, magnitude, and intensity of each earthquake, on the basis of historical and current information.

Virginia's past seismic activity is concentrated in three primary areas: the Central Virginia seismic zone (CVSZ), the Giles County seismic zone (GCSZ), and the Eastern Tennessee seismic zone (ETSZ).

The James River follows the Central Virginia Seismic Zone between Charlottesville and Richmond, while the New River follows the Giles County Seismic Zone from Radford to the West Virginia border. Virginia is pretty stable, but just about …

VTSO has researched earthquake zones in central and southwestern Virginia, Charleston, SC and Eastern Tennessee, as well as seismicity and wave propogation throughout the entirety of the central United States. Learn more about who we are and what we do.

Aug 23, 2011 · Virginia seismic zones: Two distinct seismic zones are located in Virginia: The Central Virginia Seismic Zone and the Giles County Seismic Zone. Both of these zones produce recurrent small earthquakes at least every few years. Map by USGS. Click to enlarge.

The Central Virginia seismic zone is far from the nearest plate boundaries, which are in the center of the Atlantic Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea. The seismic zone is laced with known faults but numerous smaller or deeply buried faults remain undetected.

The data shown in table 1 represent best estimates of the epicenter, magnitude, and intensity of each earthquake on the basis of historical and current informaiton. Some of the aftershocks from large earthquakes are listed, but not all, especially for the earthquakes that occurred before seismic instruments were universally used.