Geology of the Waterford Quadrangle, Virginia and Maryland, and the Virginia Part of the Point of Rocks Quadrangle
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Geology of the Waterford Quadrangle, Virginia and Maryland, and the Virginia Part of the Point of Rocks Quadrangle By William C. Burton, Albert J. Froelich, JohnS. Pomeroy, and K.Y. Lee U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 2095 A detailed study of the surficial and bedrock geology ofpart of the Blue Ridge province and Culpeper basin in northern Virginia and Maryland UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1995 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GORDON P. EATON, Director For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Published in the Eastern Region, Reston, Va. Manuscript approved for publication April 29, 1994. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Geology of the Waterford quadrangle, Virginia and Maryland, and the Virginia part of the Point of Rocks quadrangle I by William C. Burton ... [et al.]. p. em.- (U.S. Geological Survey bulletin; 2095) Includes bibliographical references. Supt. of Docs. no.: I 19.3:2095 l. Geology-Virginia. 2. Geology-Maryland. I. Burton, William C. (William Chapin), 1952- . II. Series. QE75.B9 no. 2095 [QE173] 557.3 s-dc20 [557 .55] 94-20824 CIP CONTENTS Abstract .......................................................................................................................... Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2 Geology of Proterozoic and Paleozoic Rocks ................................................................ 2 Middle Proterozoic Basement ................................................................................ 2 Granitic Gneiss .............................................................................................. 3 U-Pb Ages of Granitic Gneisses .................................................................... 5 Layered and Mafic Gneisses .......................................................................... 5 Middle Proterozoic Fabric and Structures ..................................................... 7 Middle Proterozoic Metamorphism ............................................................... 7 Late Proterozoic Dikes ........................................................................................... 8 Dike Lithology .............................................................................................. .. 8 Dike Density and Orientations ...................................................................... .. 8 Geochemistry ................................................................................................. 9 U-Pb Age of Rhyolite Dike ............................................................................ 11 Late Proterozoic Metasedimentary and Metavolcanic Rocks ................................ 12 Swift Run Formation ...................................................................................... 12 Catoctin Formation ........................................................................................ 13 Possible Rift-Related Faults ........................................................................... 14 Chilhowee Group Metasedimentary Rocks .......................................................... .. 15 Loudoun Formation ....................................................................................... 15 Weverton Quartzite ....................................................................................... .. 15 Harpers Formation ......................................................................................... 16 Antietam Quartzite ......................................................................................... 16 Post-Chilhowee Group Metasedimentary Rocks .................................................. .. 16 Carbonaceous Phyllite ................................................................................... 16 Tomstown Dolomite and Frederick Limestone .............................................. 17 Paleozoic Structure and Metamorphism ............................................................... .. 17 First-Generation Paleozoic Cleavage ............................................................. 17 First-Generation Folds ................................................................................... 19 Second-Generation Cleavage and Folds ........................................................ 19 Late Folds ....................................................................................................... 19 The Tectonic Role of Faulting ...................................................................... .. 20 Late Brittle Structures ................................................................................... .. 20 Paleozoic Recrystallization and Metamorphic Grade .................................... 21 40Arf39 Ar Dating of Metamorphic Fabric ....................................................... .. 22 Geology of Early Mesozoic Rocks ................................................................................ 22 Sedimentary Rocks ................................................................................................ 22 Manassas Sandstone, Poolesville Member ................................................... .. 22 Balls Bluff Siltstone and its Leesburg Member ............................................ .. 23 Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks ........................................................................... 24 Diabase ........................................................................................................... 24 Thermally Metamorphosed Rocks ................................................................. 25 Structural Geology ................................................................................................. 25 Bull Run Fault ............................................................................................... .. 25 Furnace Mountain Fault and Related Faults and Lineament ........................ .. 25 Inferred Faults ................................................................................................ 26 Relative Timing of Mesozoic Faulting .......................................................... 26 Joints in the Culpeper Basin .......................................................................... 26 Surficial Geology ........................................................................................................... 26 Economic Geology ........................................................................................................ .. 27 Hydrogeology ................................................................................................................ 27 References Cited ............................................................................................................ 28 III IV CONTENTS PLATE [Plate is in pocket] 1. Geologic map of the Waterford quadrangle, Virginia and Maryland, and the Virginia part of the Point of Rocks quadrangle. FIGURES 1. Map showing the study area, and mapping coverage by authors, of the Waterford quadrangle, Virginia and Maryland, an9 the Virginia part of the Point of Rocks quadrangle ................. ................. ........... .. ..... .. .. ..... ...... .. 3 2. Lower hemisphere equal-area projections of structures of Middle Proterozoic age................................................ 5 3. Photomicrograph showing thin section of garnet graphite paragneiss, Waterford quadrangle................................ 6 4. Photomicrograph showing thin section of hornblende metanorite, Waterford quadrangle . .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 5. Diagrams showing orientation of Late Proterozoic dikes........................................................................................ 9 6. AFM diagram showing Late Proterozoic metadiabase and metabasalt................................................................... 9 7. Variation diagrams of Late Proterozoic metadiabase and metabasalt...................................................................... 12 8. Chondrite-normalized REE diagram of Late Proterozoic metadiabase and metabasalt.......................................... 12 9. Photograph showing recumbent, isoclinal F 1 folds and more open, upright F2 folds with associated steeply dipping crenulation cleavage in interlayered phyllite and quartzite of the Loudoun Formation............................. 15 10. Photograph of outcrop on western flank of Catoctin Mountain, just east of Furnace Mountain, showing upright, post-F2 kink folds in S1-laminated quartzose phyllite of the Harpers Formation.................................................... 16 11. Photomicrograph showing thin section of well-developed S1 in quartzose phyllite of the Harpers Formation, Point of Rocks quadrangle .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 12-15. Lower hemisphere equal-area projections of- 12. First- and second-generation structures of Paleozoic age.................................................................................. 18 13. Late folds............................................................................................................................................................ 20 14. Late brittle structures in pre-Mesozoic rocks....................................................................................................