Internal structure of the coal bearing portion of the Pine Mountain thrust sheet, SW VA and adjoining areas
- Virginia Dept. of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Blacksburg, VA (United States). Div. of Mineral Resources
Most of Virginia's remaining coal resources occur on the Pine Mountain thrust sheet (Cumberland Overthrust block) which can be traced for almost 155 miles to the SW from the Bishop-Bradshaw Creek fault in McDowell Co., WV, and Tazewell Co., VA to the Jacksboro fault in Campbell Co., TN. The SW end of the overthrust block was detached and moved at least 13 miles to the NW along the Pine Mtn. fault. This was a clockwise rotation of the sheet about a pivot in Buchanan Co., VA during the Alleghanian orogeny and involved uplift across a series of intersecting tectonic ramps creating the Middlesboro syncline and opposing anticlinal uplifts at the SW and NE ends of the overthrust block. The rotation, noted by Bates (1939), was not recognized by Rich (1934) in his model of thin-skinned folding and should be accounted for in reconstructing cross sections and calculating regional shortening. At least 6 major transverse faults developed in the Middlesboro syncline during rotation and extension of the Cumberland block. An enormous amount of strain was propagated into the gently dipping beds in the Middlesboro syncline from the uplifted areas along the SE and NW margins and dissipated by shortening (up to 800%) in upper level detachment folds and coal bed duplexes. Delineating the sequence and orientation of extension and compression should prove useful in structural mapping for safer mine development and coal bed methane recovery in the region.
- OSTI ID:
- 6800818
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9404221-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 26:4; Conference: 43. annual meeting of the Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America, Blacksburg, VA (United States), 7-8 Apr 1994; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
COAL SEAMS
MAPPING
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
DEFORMATION
VIRGINIA
COAL DEPOSITS
DEGASSING
STRESS ANALYSIS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
USA
011000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
580000 - Geosciences