Booker T. Washington National Monument
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Booker T. Washington National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2010/234 THIS PAGE: A spring box, used as an early refrig- erator. Holes at each end of the box allow fresh, cool water to flow through, keeping perishables cool and fresh for several days at a time. ON THE COVER: The kitchen cabin (right) and smoke- house, historic buildings on the Burroughs Plantation where Booker T. Washington lived as a boy. National Park Service photographs courtesy Timbo Sims (Booker T. Wash- ington National Monument) Booker T. Washington National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2010/234 Geologic Resources Division Natural Resource Program Center P.O. Box 25287 Denver, Colorado 80225 August 2010 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U. S. Government. Printed copies of this report are produced in a limited quantity and they are only available as long as the supply lasts. This report is available from the Geologic Resources Inventory website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/inventory/gre_publications.cfm) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/ NRPM). Please cite this publication as: Thornberry-Ehrlich, T. 2010. Booker T. Washington National Monument: geologic resources inventory report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2010/234. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 807/105489, August 2010 ii NPS Geologic Resources Division Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................ iv Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... vi Credits ........................................................................................................................................................................ vi Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Geologic Resources Inventory ............................................................................................................... 1 Park Setting and Establishment .................................................................................................................................... 1 Geologic Setting .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Physiographic and Tectonic Provinces near Booker T. Washington National Monument ................................................. 2 Geologic Issues .............................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Water Issues ................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Erosion ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6 Adjacent Development ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Seismicity ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Seeps and Springs ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 Shrink-and-Swell Clays ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Geologic Features and Processes ................................................................................ 12 Geologic Influences on History ................................................................................................................................... 12 Weathered Regolith ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Map Unit Properties .................................................................................................... 15 Geologic History .......................................................................................................... 19 Precambrian and Early Paleozoic Era: Ancient Mountain Building and Iapetus Ocean Formation .................................. 19 Paleozoic Era: Appalachian Mountain Building ........................................................................................................... 20 Mesozoic Era: Rifting, Atlantic Ocean Formation, and Mountain Erosion ..................................................................... 21 Cenozoic Era: Shaping the Modern Landscape............................................................................................................ 22 Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 28 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................ 33 Additional References ................................................................................................. 36 Geology of National Park Service Areas ...................................................................................................................... 36 Resource Management/Legislation Documents ........................................................................................................... 36 Geological Survey Websites ........................................................................................................................................ 36 Other Geology/Resource Management Tools .............................................................................................................. 36 Appendix A: Overview of Digital Geologic Data ....................................................... 37 Attachment 1: Geologic Resources Inventory Products CD BOWA Geologic Resources Inventory Report iii List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Booker T. Washington National Monument in Hardy, Virginia ................................................................ 3 Figure 2: Location of the monument relative to the tectonic provinces and major faults of west-central Virginia ............... 4 Figure 3: Location of the monument relative to the physiographic provinces and subprovinces of Virginia ........................ 4 Figure 4: Rocks within Gills Creek, which is part of the monument’s west boundary and flows through the monument .... 8 Figure 5: Jack-O-Lantern Branch originates within the monument and forms the east and south boundary ....................... 8 Figure 6: The bedrock channel of Jack-O-Lantern Branch at Booker T. Washington National Monument ........................... 9 Figure 7: Gravel and finer sediments within a meander along Jack-O-Lantern Branch ....................................................... 9 Figure 8: Jack-O-Lantern Branch flowing west with increased flow and volume .............................................................. 10 Figure 9: Weathered outcrop on eroded, reforested landscape within the monument .................................................... 10 Figure 10: Undercut slope along a small, unnamed tributary .......................................................................................... 11 Figure 11: Jack-O-Lantern