Structure And Stratigraphy Of Cambro-Ordovician Metapelites And Carbonates In The Appalachian

129 Pages·2015·51.82 MB·English

by  Pallov Pal

Florida State University Libraries
Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2011
Structure and Stratigraphy of Cambro-
Ordovician Metapelites and Carbonates
in the Appalachian Valley and Ridge
Surrounding Carterville, Georgia
Pallov Pal
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THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

STRUCTURE AND STRATIGRAPHY OF CAMBRO-ORDOVICIAN METAPELITES AND
CARBONATES IN THE APPALACHIAN VALLEY AND RIDGE SURROUNDING
CARTERVILLE, GEORGIA

By

PALLOV PAL

A Dissertation submitted to the
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Awarded:
Summer Semester, 2011

i
The members of the committee approve the Dissertation of Pallov Pal defended on July 5th,
2011.

_______________________________________
James F. Tull
Professor Directing Dissertation

_______________________________________
Jeffrey Chanton
University Representative

_______________________________________
A. Leroy Odom
Committee Member

_______________________________________
Stephen A. Kish
Committee Member

Approved:

_____________________________________
Lynn Dudley, Chair, Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science

The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members.
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To my parents and my wife, Rajashree for their relentless love, encouragement and support, and
Dadubhai.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I remain indebted to a number of persons who directly or indirectly have helped me to a
successful completion of this work. First and foremost, I express my sincerest gratitude to my
advisor James Tull, whose relentless efforts and patience helped me guide through this doctoral
work during the past five years. His extensive knowledge of the Appalachians, excellent
geologic aptitude and enthusiasm toward field geology led me to appreciate geology at a
different level and learn a lot of aspects in a new manner. I have learnt first-hand from him how
incalculable the importance of field geology is to pursue a career in geology. I consider myself
extremely fortunate to have worked under his guidance.
My other committee members also have been immensely valuable in assisting me and
provide insights into my work. I have spent a lot of time together with Dr. Leroy Odom and
gained much knowledge both in geology and life in general. Thanks to his extensive help. Dr.
Stephen Kish has been always helpful and provided lots of information on metamorphism in the
Appalachians. I am especially indebted to Dr. Jeffrey Chanton for accepting to act as university
representative in my committee.
Numerous graduate students in the department whom I have come across through the last
five years should be commended. Nick John, Stephen Whiting, Haitham Baggazi, Clint
Barineau, Farman Ullah, John Pazel thanks to all of you for the time we have spent together and
the inspiring geological and non-geological conversations I have had with you. I have learnt a lot
from you too. Tami Karl, Mary Gilmore and Sharon Wynn, the three beautiful ladies in our main
office whom I had the pleasure to be acquainted with, made the works for last five years as
smooth as it could be. Thanks a lot for your helps.
I would like to extend my thanks to the Department of Geological Sciences which
provided with my funding during my graduate studies here at FSU through teaching and research
assistantships. The U.S. Geological Survey Educational National Mapping Cooperative, Frank
Buie Scholarship and Joseph Banks Scholarship helped me financially for my research work.
Thanks to them. Thanks to Dr. David Farris for allowing me to use his microscope to capture
photomicrograph images.
Last but not the least; I remain ever grateful to my family members for their selfless
support all through these years. My parents have been a moral supporter and motivator for me to
go out and strive for more knowledge. To my wife Rajashree, without whose support, patience,
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encouragement and sweetness this project would not have seen its fruition, I owe a heapful of
thanks.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... viii

List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ ix

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ xiv

1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................1
1.1 Geologic, Regional and Tectonic Setting ......................................................................1

1.2 Study Area .....................................................................................................................3

1.3 Research Motivation, Hypothesis and Methodology .....................................................6

2. STRATIGRAPHY AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS ........................................17

2.1 Regional Stratigraphy of the Valley and Ridge in northwestern Georgia ...................17

2.2 Precambrian Corbin Gneiss .........................................................................................18

2.3 Precambrian Pinelog Formation ..................................................................................18

2.4 Upper Precambrian – Lower Cambrian Clastic Shelf Sequence,Chilhowee
Group ...........................................................................................................................19

2.5 Lower Cambrian Carbonate Sequence, Shady Dolomite ............................................20

2.6 Lower to Middle Cambrian Rome-Waynesboro-Monkton Clastics, Rome
Formation .....................................................................................................................22

2.7 Middle to Upper Cambrian Winnoski-Elbrook-Conasauga Sequence, Conasauga
Group ...........................................................................................................................23

2.8 Upper Cambrian to Lower Ordovician carbonates, Knox Group ................................24

2.9 Middle Ordovician Newala and Lenoir Limestone Undifferentiated, Rockmart
Slate..............................................................................................................................25

2.10 Silurian Red Mountain Formation ...............................................................................25

2.11 Lower to Middle Devonian Armuchhe Chert and Frog Mountain Sandstone .............26

2.12 Upper Devonian Chattanooga Shale ............................................................................27

2.13 Lower Mississipian Maury Shale and Fort Payne Chert .............................................27
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2.14 Middle-Upper Mississippian carbonate/clastics – Tuscumbia Limestone, Monteagle-
Bangor Limestones, Pennington and Raccoon Mountain Formations,
Floyd Shale ..................................................................................................................28

2.15 Lower Pennsylvanian undifferentiated units ...............................................................29

3. STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY ................................................................................................47

3.1 Previous structural interpretations ...............................................................................47

3.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................48

3.4 Results of Structural Analysis ......................................................................................48

3.5 Metamorphism .............................................................................................................51

4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................74

APPENDIX ....................................................................................................................................79

REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................99

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................................113

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LIST OF TABLES

A1. Location data for stations recorded during fieldwork ...........................................................80

A2. Compiled structural data from the study area ........................................................................90

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LIST OF FIGURES
1.1 The extent of the Appalachians in the US showing major salients and recesses ....................9

1.2 Broad overview of the study area showing different geological provinces in the southern
Appalachians .........................................................................................................................10

1.3 Various lithotectonic units and structures in the Valley and Ridge of Georgia ....................11

1.4 Geologic map of the Appalachian foreland fold and thrust belt in Georgia and the
structural/stratigraphic contrasts across the Cartersville Transverse Zone ...........................12

1.5 Geologic map of the Blue Ridge/Talladega belt and the structural/stratigraphic contrasts
across the Cartersville transverse zone .................................................................................13

1.6 Geologic map and cross section in the southernmost Blue Ridge ........................................14

1.7 Boundary of the study area and mineral resources of Bartow County, Georgia. .................15

1.8 Satellite image showing urbanized regions in the study area. Buff colored areas are heavily
urbanized. ..............................................................................................................................16

2.1 Distribution of lithology in the study area. ...........................................................................30

2.2 Stratigraphic nomenclature of exposed rocks in the study area from various authors. Red
box defines the stratigraphy observed in this project. (Modified from McConnel and
Abrams, 1984).......................................................................................................................31

2.3 Boulder of Corbin Gneiss showing augen texture with eyes of feldspar. .............................32

2.4 Photomicrograph of Corbin Gneiss showing coarse grained quartz and feldspar in a
groundmass of fine-grained muscovite and quartz. Coarse grained quartz showing
undulatory extinction. ...........................................................................................................32

2.5 Boudinaged quartz grain in Corbin Gneiss ...........................................................................33

2.6 Fracture and displacement through a quartz grain in Gorbin Gneiss. Quartz grains show
undulatory extinction. ...........................................................................................................33

2.7 Approximately 11 meters thick outcrop of Weisner quartzite of Chilhowee Group. ...........34

2.8 Right-side-up cross beds seen in coarse grained arkosic sandstone of Chilhowee Group. ..34

2.9 Cross beds seen in Weisner quartzite of Chilhowee Group. .................................................35

2.10 Undulatory extinction and deformation lamella in quartz of Weisner quartzite ..................35
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