National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2011/458 ON THE COVER Fog flows through Cumberland Gap at dawn, viewed from the Pinnacle Overlook. THIS PAGE An idyllic setting at the Gap Creek Cascade provides a view of active stream dynamics in the park. National Park Service photographs by Scott Teodorski (Cumberland Gap National Historical Park). Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2011/458 National Park Service Geologic Resources Division PO Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225 September 2011 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado 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. 2011. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park: geologic resources inventory report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR— 2011/458. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 380/10577, September 2011 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 ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Geologic Setting .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 History of Cumberland Gap .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Geologic Issues .............................................................................................................. 9 Fluvial Issues and pH Changes in Surface Waters .......................................................................................................... 9 Caves and Karst Issues ............................................................................................................................................... 10 Mass Wasting ............................................................................................................................................................ 12 Cumberland Gap Tunnel ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Disturbed Lands ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 Fern Lake Watershed Water and Mineral Resource Issues ........................................................................................... 15 Seismicity ................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Additional Geologic Map Products ............................................................................................................................. 16 Geologic Features and Processes ................................................................................ 25 Geology and History Connections ............................................................................................................................... 25 Paleontological Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 26 Middlesboro Meteorite Impact Structure .................................................................................................................... 27 Excellent Rock Exposures ............................................................................................................................................ 27 Significant Features .................................................................................................................................................... 28 Geologic History .......................................................................................................... 31 Precambrian (before 542 million years ago) ................................................................................................................ 31 Cambrian Period (about 532–488 million years ago) ................................................................................................... 31 Ordovician Period (about 488–444 million years ago) ................................................................................................. 31 Silurian Period (about 444–416 million years ago) ....................................................................................................... 31 Devonian Period (416–359 million years ago) ............................................................................................................. 32 Mississippian through Pennsylvanian Periods (359–299 million years ago) ................................................................... 32 Permian Period (299–251 million years ago) ............................................................................................................... 33 Mesozoic Era (251–65.5 million years ago) ................................................................................................................. 33 Cenozoic Era (the past 65.5 million years) ................................................................................................................... 33 Geologic Map Data ...................................................................................................... 39 Geologic Maps ........................................................................................................................................................... 39 Source Maps .............................................................................................................................................................. 39 Geologic GIS Data ...................................................................................................................................................... 40 Geologic Map Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 41 Map Unit Properties Table .......................................................................................................................................... 41 Use Constraints .......................................................................................................................................................... 41 Geologic Map Overview Graphics .............................................................................. 42 Map Unit Properties Table 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