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Georgia and Alabama Appalachians Christopher Scott Holm-Denoma Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2006 Characterization of Paleozoic Terranes and Terrane Accretion at the Southeastern Margin of Laurentia: Georgia and Alabama Appalachians Christopher Scott Holm-Denoma Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES CHARACTERIZATION OF PALEOZOIC TERRANES AND TERRANE ACCRETION AT THE SOUTHEASTERN MARGIN OF LAURENTIA: GEORGIA AND ALABAMA APPALACHIANS By CHRISTOPHER SCOTT HOLM-DENOMA A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Geological Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2006 The members of the Committee approve the Dissertation of Christopher Scott Holm-Denoma defended on July 25, 2006. _____________________ James F. Tull Professor Directing Dissertation _____________________ Philip Froelich Outside Committee Member _____________________ A. Leroy Odom Committee Member _____________________ Stephen A. Kish Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii To Jill and the rest of my family who have supported these endeavors. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to a number of people who have helped me throughout my educational career. First of all, Dr. Jim Tull has provided numerous opportunities that I would not likely have received elsewhere or under any other major professor. His exceptional field skills and conceptualization of the many aspects of geosciences are unmatched. I hope that at least a small part of his intellect has rubbed off on me. Also, his dedication to and advocacy of his students is most appreciated. Financial support by USGS EDMAP grants and NSF funding has been invaluable. I also have to thank my committee members for their help and collegial support; Dr. Roy Odom and Dr. Steve Kish provided great insight to the many aspects of Appalachian geology and the fundamental processes within. Dr. Flip Froelich is thanked for his exceptional professionalism and overall dedication to the future of young scientists. I owe a tremendous ‘thank you’ to the members of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. The access to such high quality analytical equipment and facilities has been invaluable. Roy Odom, Vincent Salters, Michael Bizimis, and Munir Humayun have allowed me freedom to conduct research that would not have been completed without their support. Special thanks go to Michael Bizimis for giving me the guidance to learn the fundamental aspects of analytical geochemistry and allowed autonomy as I progressed. Afi Sachi-Kocher also provided help in the chemistry portions of my analyses and Ted Zateslo with all the mechanical nuances. The many lab mates and colleagues in the Department of Geological Sciences have helped shape me as a researcher and human being. I have interacted with Clint Barineau and Reshmi Das the most, as our research will hopefully shed some new light on the southernmost Appalachians. I hope to continue to interact with these talented scientists. Jiun-Yee Yen helped me at various stages and was generally a great lab mate. The folks at the Mag Lab also provided great collegiality and comic relief during tedious times on the machines or in the clean lab; especially Mabry Gaboardi, Sangha Ghosh, and Soumen Mallick. I also need to express gratitude to Tami Karl and Mary Gilmore who have provided incredible support, endless situation comedy, and general relief from staring at the computer. They have definitely looked after me and have made sure that I would grow to enjoy Tallahassee. My family and friends have made this journey a memorable one. Their support and guidance have allowed me to reach my goals. My mother, Carole Holm, has provided limitless opportunities for me even when it probably wasn’t the easiest thing to do, nor do I always show my thanks. Thanks to my brother Jeff for providing me shelter during my many weeks in the field; he often provided some of the nicest ‘camping’ conditions a geologist could ask for. iv Lastly, I thank my wife Jill Holm-Denoma for the incredible encouragement and support and occasional field assistance that she has provided over the past three-plus years. I know that this was a struggle, but her patience and confidence in my abilities has enabled me to complete this episode in my life. I look forward to many years of happiness. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables .................................................................................... Page ix List of Figures .................................................................................... Page x Abstract .......................................................................................... Page xii 1. Introduction .................................................................................... Page 1 1.1 Purpose and scope of study..................................................... Page 1 1.2 Methodology of investigation.................................................... Page 3 1.3 Geographical setting ................................................................ Page 4 2. Geology of the southern Appalachian Blue Ridge............................. Page 5 2.1 Tectonic elements of the southern Appalachians..................... Page 5 2.2 Geologic setting of the Appalachian Blue Ridge ...................... Page 7 2.2.1 Rifted margin setting........................................................ Page 7 2.2.2 Drift facies of the southern Appalachians......................... Page 10 2.2.3 Regional unconformity and clastic wedge........................ Page 11 2.2.4 Accreted (?) terranes of the southern Appalachian Blue Ridge ................................................................................ Page 14 2.2.5 Early-Middle Paleozoic deformation in the Blue Ridge .... Page 14 .................................................................................... 3. The Geology of the Pumpkinvine Creek Formation and related units Page 16 3.1 Introduction. ............................................................................. Page 16 3.2 Previous studies....................................................................... Page 22 3.2.1 Regional geology ............................................................. Page 22 3.2.2 Geochemistry and geochronology ................................... Page 24 3.3 General description of lihotectonic units................................... Page 26 3.3.1 Unit descriptions .............................................................. Page 26 3.3.2 Petrologic/ outcrop expression......................................... Page 26 3.3.3 Major and trace-element geochemistry............................ Page 27 3.3.4 Structural and stratigraphic setting................................... Page 32 3.4 Hillabee Greenstone connection .............................................. Page 33 3.5 Geochronology of the Pumpkinvine Creek Formation.............. Page 35 3.5.1 Zircon data....................................................................... Page 35 3.5.2 Rb-Sr isotope................................................................... Page 36 3.6 Geochemical discussion........................................................... Page 38 3.6.1 Primitive mafic rock petrogenesis .................................... Page 38 vi 3.6.2 Tectonic discrimination and trace and REE chemistry ..... Page 38 3.6.3 Sr and Nd Isotope Geochemistry..................................... Page 42 3.7 Petrogenesis of modern and ancient arc/back-arc systems..... Page 46 3.8 Discussion................................................................................ Page 48 3.8.1 Distinguishing features..................................................... Page 48 3.8.2 Tectonic relationships ...................................................... Page 48 4. Granitoids of the southernmost eastern Blue Ridge.......................... Page 51 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................. Page 51 4.2 Geologic setting of Ashland-Wedowee belt granitoids ............. Page 53 4.2.1Structural setting............................................................... Page 53 4.2.2 Stratigraphic framework of the Ashland-Wedowee belt ... Page 55 4.3 Lithologic description of the Early Paleozoic granitoids............ Page 57 4.3.1 Alabama granitoids .......................................................... Page 57 4.3.2 Georgia granitoids............................................................ Page 58 4.4 Geochronological investigations............................................... Page 59 4.5 Major and trace element geochemistry .................................... Page 62 4.6 Isotope geochemistry ............................................................... Page 72 4.6.1 Sr and Nd isotopes as crustal tracers .............................. Page 72 4.6.2 Nd and Sr isotope values................................................. Page 73 4.7 Discussion................................................................................ Page 77 5. Tectonic model for the evolution of the early Paleozoic Laurentian margin Page 79 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................. Page 79 5.2 Late Proterozoic-Early Cambrian passive margin .................... Page 80 5.3 Initiation of subduction along the Alabama promontory...........
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