National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Stones River National Battlefield Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2012/566 ON THE COVER Cannons dot the landscape in front of Artillery Monument. THIS PAGE The treacherous karst landscape caused this now peaceful area to be termed the “slaughter pen” by Civil War soldiers. National Park Service photographs by Jim Lewis (Stones River National Battlefield). Stones River National Battlefield Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2012/566 National Park Service Geologic Resources Division PO Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225 September 2012 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. L. 2012. Stones River National Battlefield: Geologic resources inventory report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2012/566. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 327/116712, September 2012 ii NPS Geologic Resources Division Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................ iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................. iv Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... vi Credits ........................................................................................................................................................................ vi Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Geologic Resources Inventory Program ......................................................................................................................... 1 Regional Information ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Geologic Issues .............................................................................................................. 7 Disturbed Lands and Historic Landscape Restoration ..................................................................................................... 7 Karst Challenges .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Fluvial Processes and Flooding .................................................................................................................................... 10 Slope Failure and Erosion ........................................................................................................................................... 13 Seismicity ................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Geologic Features and Processes ................................................................................ 15 Karst Features ............................................................................................................................................................ 15 Cedar Glades ............................................................................................................................................................. 17 Paleontological Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 21 Geologic Connections to Park Stories ......................................................................................................................... 19 Stones River Group .................................................................................................................................................... 21 Geologic History .......................................................................................................... 23 Early Paleozoic Era (542–416 million years ago)—Longstanding Marine Deposition ..................................................... 23 Later Paleozoic Era (416–251 million years ago)—Continuing Erosion, Uplift, and Deposition ...................................... 25 Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras (251 million years ago–present)—A Story of Weathering ................................................ 25 Geologic Map Data ...................................................................................................... 27 Geologic Maps .......................................................................................................................................................... 27 Source Maps .............................................................................................................................................................. 27 Geologic GIS Data ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 Geologic Map Overview Graphic ................................................................................................................................ 28 Map Unit Properties Table .......................................................................................................................................... 28 Use Constraints .......................................................................................................................................................... 28 Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 29 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................ 33 Additional References ................................................................................................. 37 Geology of National Park Service Areas ...................................................................................................................... 37 NPS Resource Management Guidance and Documents ............................................................................................... 37 Geological Surveys and Societies ................................................................................................................................ 37 U.S. Geological Survey Reference Tools ...................................................................................................................... 37 Appendix: Scoping Meeting Participants ................................................................... 38 2009 Scoping Meeting Participants ............................................................................................................................ 38 2011 Conference Call Participants .............................................................................................................................. 38 STRI Geologic Resources Inventory Report iii List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Stones River National Battlefield ........................................................................................................ 2 Figure 2. Physiographic provinces of Tennessee ............................................................................................................ 3 Figure 3. Cross-sectional view through Tennessee .......................................................................................................