Taconian foreland-style thrust system in the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Geology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1992)020<0177:TFSTSI>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:7004112

Connelly, J B ^[1]; Woodward, N B ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville (United States)
2. Univ. of Maryland, College Park (United States)

Four major thrust faults dominate the Great Smoky Mountains foothills region: the Greenbrier, Dunn Creek, Miller Cove, and Great Smoky. The Greenbrier and Dunn Creek thrust sheets were emplaced prior to Taconian regional cleavage development and peak metamorphism. Cleavage and most deformation features formed during the emplacement of a thrust sheet now floored by the Miller Cove thrust fault. Alleghanian emplacement of the Great Smoky-Miller Cove thrust sheet dissected these earlier structures. If the effects of the younger structures are removed, the basal faults of the Dunn Creek and Greenbrier sheets reveal ramp-flat geometries typical of foreland fold-thrust belts including bedding-parallel faults, ramps, and angular ramp-related folds. The Great Smoky Mountains region is therefore unique in the southern Appalachians because a foreland-style fold-thrust belt of Taconian age is well preserved.

• OSTI ID: 7004112
• Journal Information: Geology; (United States), Vol. 20:2; ISSN 0091-7613
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOMETRY
INCLINATION
INCLINED STRATA
METAMORPHISM
NORTH CAROLINA
OROGENESIS
TENNESSEE
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRATA
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MATHEMATICS
MOUNTAINS
NORTH AMERICA
USA
580000* - Geosciences