A newly discovered fault in West Virginia and Virginia related to the location of the narrows of New River
- Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States). Dept. of Geology
Stratigraphic measurements of the outcrop belt just northwest of the St. Clair fault near Lindside and on both sides of the New River valley reveal major omission of Upper Devonian and Lower Mississippian strata. About 1,000 feet of Brallier and Foreknobs Formations and up to 700 feet of Price (Pocono) formation are missing thee when compared with wells in flat-lying appalachian Plateau a few miles north of the proposed new fault, and when compared nearby along this Allegheny Front outcrop belt. The strata in the outcrop study area are in an overturned succession with dips generally 24--58[degree] and involving rocks from Huntersville chert at the St. Clair fault to Greenbrier Limestone on the southeast limb of the Glen Lyn syncline. The best exposure of the new fault is near Lindside, where it dips 79[degree]SE, and brings locally nearly flat, gently folded Brallier Formation in fault contact with the upper Price (Pocono) Formation only 9 stratigraphic feet beneath the Merrimac coal dipping 35[degree]SE overturned. This suggests a normal fault with about 2,600 feet dip-slip. If these age relationships are correct, the new fault is post-orogenic and may be relaxational. The effect of the new fault is to reduce the amount of resistant strata that New River had to cut through near the Narrows, and this is probably why New River crosses the 85 miles long trend of East River-Peters Mountain where it does. The new high-angle fault is also near the Giles County earthquake swarm.
- OSTI ID:
- 6786361
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9404221--
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Vol. 26:4; ISSN GAAPBC; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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