Alexander E.\(3Ates„ Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Doctor O
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Th;Tectonic Evolution of the Altavista area, I Southwest Virginia Piedmont bv Alexander E. \(3ates„ Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial Fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor oF Philosophy in Department oFGeologica1 Sciences APPROVED: ‘ " · · .. · L. Gläer III, Chairman; U h f A.@ewitt C. Simps"pUnw 1) ’ _. ..T.....‘*‘ ' K. A. Eriksson A. K. Sinha June 1986 Blacksburg, Virginia The Teetonic Evolution of the Altavista area, Southwest Virginia Piedmont n bv Alexander E. Gates L. Glover Ill, Chairman Department of Geological Sciences I (ABSTRACT) The Altavista area lies at the north end of a large area of continuous detailed mapping in the proposed westward thrusted Smith River Allochthon of the Southwest Virginia Piedmont. lt also lies at the south end of an area of continuous mapping in the central Virginia Piedmont. The stratigraphy of the Smith River Allochthon has not been related to any other in the Southem Appalachians. The units defined to the north of Altavista are Late Precambrian to Early Paleozoic in age and correlated to many other areas in the Central and Southern Applalchians. At Altavista the two stratigraphies merge and are correlatable. The Bowens Creek Fault, which bounds the west side of the Smith River Allochthon, separates blocks that contain the same stratigraphy. If allochthonous at all, the Smith River Allochthon has therefore not been thrusted any great distance. The rocks of the Smith River Allochthon have been metamorphosed to mid zlle to upper amphibolite facies conditions during the Taconic Orogeny whereas those of Central Virginia only acheived upper greenschist conditions during this event. The Evington Group pelitic schists and gneisses in Altavista exhibit an inverted prograde metamorphism and subsequent retrogression. The Pressure·temperature path for these rocks forms the lower part of a loop from high pressure to lower pressure and higher temperature followed by a nearly isobaric retrogression. Paths ofthis type are characteristic of terranes that have experienced nappe emplacement. The Altavista area repres- ents the footwall beneath a nappe that has been eroded away because the metamorphic gradient is inverted yet the stratigraphy is upright. Two phases of deformation in this event formed isoclinal folds and refolded isoclinal folds and a pervasive S2 foliation. The formation of large domes along the Bowens Creek Fault postdates the high grade metamorphism. The structures were formed in a three·stage dextral transpressional event. This Carboniferous dextral transcurrent event is Appalachian wide and well documented in the Brookneal zone to the east. The Bowens Creek Fault is therefore unrelated to the high grade metamorphism, further disproving the existence of the Smith River Allochthon. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Fieldwork for this project was funded through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission grant NRC 04-75-737 to Lynn Glover III and J. K. Costain. I wish to thank Lynn Glover III for originally suggesting this field area and for allowing me to continue with it through the dissertation. The discussions with Lynn both in the lab and the field pro- vided the direction for most of the papers. I also wish to thank _ .1 for many grueling hours of discussing, writing and drafting for the Brookneal Zone paper. Thanks to my cornmittee, Lynn Glover III, Carol Simpson, Ken Eriksson, Krishra Sinha and David Hewett, for the critical reviews and helpful discussions in preparing this disserta- i tion. Special thanks to , . ., _ and many graduate students including: , . 1, and among oth- ers who provided much help through advice, support and discussion. This dissertation could not have been nearly as well completed in nearly as short a time without the emotional support and efforts of Waiting at I’m home during the late nights in the lab certainly required alot of patience and faith. thankful that she believes in me. She also did most of the typing. drafted the map and many of the figures and put up with alot of moodiness. She is appreciated. has been supportive and solved innumerable problems. She is an expert in diplomacy and logistics. 1 taught me all I know about developing film and prints - a very patient woman. Finally I wish to acknowledge the contributions, both geological and philosophical, of to my work and return to school. TABLE OF CONTENTS APPALACHIAN CARBONIFEROUS DEXTRAL STRIKE-SLIP FAULTS: ... 1 AN EXAMPLE FROM BROOKNEAL, VIRGINIA .....................1 ABSTRACT ..................................................1 INTRODUCTION .............................................2 BROOKNEAL SHEAR ZONE ....................................5 METAMORPHIC CONDITIONS OF DEFORMATION ...............15 DISPLACEMENT ESTIMATES FOR THE BROOKNEAL SHEAR ZONE . 16 CONTROL ON THE STRIKE SLIP EVENT ....................17 l AGE COMPARISON WITH SEISMIC REFLECTION DATA ...............21 TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS ....................................24 CONCLUSIONS ..............................................27 REFERENCES ...............................................28 TRANSPRESSIONAL DOME FORMATION .........................38 IN THE SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA PIEDMONT. ......................38 ABSTRACT .................................................38 INTRODUCTION ............................................39 PRE-DOME GEOLOGY OF THE ALTAVISTA AREA ................45 DOME GEOMETRY ..........................................47 STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS ....................................49 D1 and D2 Deformational Events ................................49 D1 Deformation .............................................50 D4 Deformation .............................................53 Mineral Lineations ...........................................58 Faults .....................................................59 STRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT ................................62 TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS ....................................69 CONCLUSIONS ..............................................70 REFERENCES .......·........................................71 PROGRADE METAMORPHISM AND HYDROTHERMAL RETROGRESSION ............................................79 DURING NAPPE EMPLACEMENT, SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA PIEDMONT 79 ABSTRACT .................................................79 INTRODUCTION ............,............,..................80 iv GEOLOGIC SETTING .........................................81 PETROGRAPHY .............................................86 Prograde Assemblages Southeast of the Sil-Isograd ...................87 Prograde Assemblages Northwest of the Sil-Isograd ...................88 St-Bearing Retrograde Rocks ....................................88 C1d-Bearing Retrograde Assemblages ..............................91 Rocks with Extreme Composition ................................93 MINERAL CHEMISTRY .......................................93 Muscovite ..................................................94 Plagioclase .................................................94 Biotite ....................................................97 Gamets ...................................................97 Staurolite ................................................. 101 Chlorite .................................................. 107 Chloritoid ................................................. 107 Other Minerals ............................................. 108 PETROLOGIC EVOLUTION ................................... 108 Prograde Assemblages ........................................109 St·Retrograde Reactions ...................................... 115 Cld-Retrograde Reactions ..................................... 119 Conditions of Metamorphism .................................... 121 Location P-T Reaction Space .................................. 121 Thermobarometry ...........................................124 P-T Path .................................................. 127 DISCUSSION ...............................................129 Retrogression and Fluids ...................................... 129 TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS ................................... 131 REFERENCES ..............................................135 THE SMITH RIVER ALLOCHTHON: GEOLOGY AND REGIONAL CON- TEXT ...,..................................................142 ABSTRACT ................................................ 142 INTRODUCTION ........................................... 143 STRATIGRAPHY ............................................ 147 LYNCHBURG GROUP ......................................152 Interpretation ..............................................156 V CATOCTIN FORMATION ................................... 156 Interpretation .............................................. 157 EVINGTON GROUP ........................................ 158 Basal Graywacke. ...........................................158 Quartzite ................................................. 159 Lower Pelite. ............................................... 159 Lower Calc-silicate/sandy pelite. ................................ 160 Middle pelite. ..............................................161 Upper Calcsilicate/Quartzite Sequence. ........................... 161 Upper Pelite. ............................................... 162 Interpretation .............................................. 162 STRUCTURE AND METAMORPHISM. ..........................166 Dr ...................................................... 167 D2 ...................................................... 168 M; .....................................................