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OPEN-FILE REPORT 07-03 VIRGINIA DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 07-03 SUMMARY OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE BON AIR QUADRANGLE: A SUPPLEMENT TO THE GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE BON AIR QUADRANGLE, VIRGINIA Mark W. Carter, C. R. Berquist, Jr., and Heather A. Bleick a A B s C D COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINERALS AND ENERGY DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES Edward E. Erb, State Geologist CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA 2008 VIRGINIA DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES COVER PHOTOS. Xenoliths and schlieren in Petersburg Granite. A – Biotite-muscovite granitic gneiss. A dashed line marks strong foliation in the rock. Edge of Brunton compass is about 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) long. Outcrop coordinates – 37.54853°N, 77.69229°W, NAD 27. B – Amphibolite xenolith (marked by an “a”) in layered granite gneiss phase of the Petersburg Granite. Faint layering can be seen in granite between hammerhead and xenolith. Hammer is approximately 15 inches (38 centimeters) long. Outcrop coordinates – 37.5050°N, 77.5893 °W, NAD 27. C – Foliation in amphibolite xenolith (marked by a dashed line). Hammerhead is about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long. Outcrop coordinates – 37.5229°N, 77.5790°W, NAD 27. D – Schlieren (marked by an “s”) in foliated granite phase of the Petersburg Granite. Schleiren are oriented parallel to the foliation in the granite. Field of view in photograph is about 2 feet by 3 feet (0.6 meter by 0.9 meter). Outcrop coordinates – 37.5147°N, 77.5352°W, NAD 27. OPEN-FILE REPORT 07-03 VIRGINIA DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 07-03 SUMMARY OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE BON AIR QUADRANGLE: A SUPPLEMENT TO THE GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE BON AIR QUADRANGLE, VIRGINIA Mark W. Carter, C. R. Berquist, Jr., and Heather A. Bleick COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINERALS AND ENERGY DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES Edward E. Erb, State Geologist CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA 2008 VIRGINIA DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 07-03 CONTENTS Abstract....................................................................................................................................1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................2 Summary of significant changes..................................................................................2 Stratigraphy..............................................................................................................................6 Basement rocks............................................................................................................6 Rocks of the Petersburg Granite......................................................................6 Subidiomorphic granite........................................................................9 Porphyritic granite...............................................................................9 Foliated granite and layered granite gneiss........................................13 Xenoliths within Petersburg Granite...................................................15 Younger intrusive rocks.................................................................................15 Triassic rocks of the Newark Supergroup.......................................................17 Coastal Plain cover sediments.....................................................................................19 Sediments of the Miocene Lower Chesapeake Group...................................19 High-level Tertiary gravels..............................................................................21 Sediments of the Upper Chesapeake Group..................................................23 Mid-level Tertiary gravels...............................................................................29 Low-level Tertiary gravels..............................................................................30 Quatermary-Tertiary gravels...........................................................................32 Quaternary-Tertiary alluvial and colluvial valley fills...................................32 Carolina Bays of the Virginia Coastal Plain near Richmond.........................35 Structure.................................................................................................................................37 Foliations in Petersburg Granite..................................................................................37 Joints in Petersburg Granite and Coastal Plain sediments..........................................37 Faults..........................................................................................................................44 Mineral resources...................................................................................................................49 Building stone............................................................................................................49 Crushed stone.............................................................................................................50 Coal...........................................................................................................................53. Fill material................................................................................................................53 Sand and gravel..........................................................................................................53 Environmental and land use issues..........................................................................................54 Modified land.............................................................................................................54 Carolina Bays.............................................................................................................54 Alluvium....................................................................................................................55 Quaternary-Tertiary alluvial and colluvial valley fill.................................................55 Quaternary-Tertiary gravels........................................................................................55 Low-level Tertiary gravels..........................................................................................55 Mid-level Tertiary gravels...........................................................................................56 VIRGINIA DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES Sand and gravel of the Upper Chesapeake Group.....................................................56 High-level Tertiary gravels.........................................................................................56 Clayey silt of the Lower Chesapeake Group.............................................................56 Silicified Cataclasite...................................................................................................57 Intrusive rocks............................................................................................................57 Triassic rocks ot the Richmond basin.........................................................................57 Petersburg Granite......................................................................................................59 Xenoliths within Petersburg Granite...........................................................................61 Landslides..................................................................................................................61 Surface water pollution from perched water tables....................................................61 Summary of significant results...............................................................................................63 Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................66 References..............................................................................................................................66 Appendix................................................................................................................................75 ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURE 1. Geography of the Richmond metropolitan area, showing the location of the Bon Air quadrangle................................................................................3 2. Geologic and physiographic provinces and subprovinces in the Richmond metropolitan area. ............................................................................................7 3. Stratigraphy, correlation, and brief description of Coastal Plain units across the fall zone and Inner Coastal Plain subprovinces..............................8 4. Phases of the Petersburg Granite...............................................................................10 5. Classification of Petersburg Granite samples from modal analysis...........................13 6. Major and minor element Harker diagrams for Petersburg Granite samples.............14 7. Xenoliths and schlieren in Petersburg Granite...........................................................16 8. Classification and comparison of Coastal Plain and Triassic Newark Supergroup rocks from modal analysis..........................................................18 9. Clayey silt of the Miocene lower Chesapeake Group................................................20 10. Major element Harker diagram (top) and trace and rare earth element spider graphs for lower Chesapeake Group samples.....................................22