sapgen1.jpg - General map of tectonic zones of the Southern Appalachians

                sapproad1.jpg - Geological road map of Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina

                sapphorton1.jpg - General map of the Appalachians, Horton et al., 1989

                http://instruct.uwo.ca/earth-sci/300b-001/sapp.htm - notes on the geology of the Southern Appalachians

                http://instruct.uwo.ca/earth-sci/300b-001/cordtimescale.jpg - Geological Timescale

                 09ophiol.jpg          - Reinhardt's 1969 ophiolite genesis and emplacement model for the ophiolites of the Oman, a seminal idea in the

                                              development of plate tectonics. Reinhardt, B.M., 1969. On the genesis and emplacement of opiolites in the Oman

                                              Mountains geosyncline. Schweitzer Mineralog. Petrog. Mitt.49,  p. 1-30.

                 stevensfig5-6.jpg   - Stevens, R.K., 1970 foreland-flysch obduction model for the Bay of Islands ophiolite, Newfoundland.

                                              Stevens, R. K.,  1970. Cambro-Ordovician flysch sedimentation and tectonics in west Newfoundland and their bearing on a

                                              Proto-Atlantic Ocean. Geol. Assoc. Can. Special Paper v. 7  p. 165-177.

     Abst: "A succession of Ordovician flysch derived from the east overlies Cambro-Ordovician carbonate rocks in west Newfoundland. The flysch is overridden by two allochthons mainly made up of flysch sequences also of Cambro-Ordovician age. The transported flysch consists of an older assemblage resembling sediments of a continental rise of the Atlantic type and a younger assemblage derived from tectonic lands possibly bordering a former closing ocean. Parts of the old ocean crust might be preserved as ophiolites in the upper slices of the allochthons. The tectonic activity associated with the emplacement of the allochthons also led to the deposition of the allochthonous flysch which transgressed westwards onto the craton."

                 sappophiolites.jpg - Map showing the distribution of three supposed occurrences of ophiolitic rocks in the Southern Appalachians (Hatcher et al. 1984)

                 sappliberty.jpg      - Tectonostratigraphic map of the Maryland Piedmont and adjacent areas ( Muller et al. 1989)

                 sappbalt2.jpg        - Geological sketch map of Cecil County, Maryland (Crowley et al., 1971).

                 sappbalt3.jpg        - Geological map of the Baltimore area (Crowley et al., 1971).

                 sappbalt4col.jpg    - Columnar section showing stratigraphic units exposed on the northwest flank of the Towson dome (Crowley et al., 1971).

                 sappbaltrdmp.jpg - road map showing field trip route and stops 1 to 12

                 sappbaltstop1.jpg - stop 1, pillow lavas at Gilpin Creek, MacGregor Conference Center Boys Scouts of America (UTM: 418003, 4389233);

                                              amygdaloidal tholeiitic basalt; leave highway 89 onto 272 at UTM: 417430, 4387019, 18S

.

                 sappbaltstop2.jpg - stop 2, sheared pillow lava at Rock Church (434054, 4394943, 18S)

                 sappbaltstop3.jpg - stop 3, Conowingo breccia, foreland basin olistostromal turbidite (mass flow) deposits of the Wissahickon

                                             (UTM: 400184, 4390696, 18S)

                 sappbaltwiss71a.jpg,  sappbaltwiss71b.jpg -  soft-sediment deformed 'blocks' in the Conowinga breccia.

                 sappbaltstop5.jpg - stop 5, Port Deposit gneiss, shallow pluton associated with the Jame Run felsic volcanic sequence overlying the

                                              pillow lava unit of stops 1 and 2 (UTM: 403064, 4385912, 18S).

                  sappbaltstop6.jpg - stop 6, James Run Gneiss, mafic/felsic volcanogenic meta-sedimentary rocks??. Gatch quarry entrance off highway 136

                                              at UTM: 391495, 4376422, 18S.   sappbaltgatch71.jpg - James Run 'straight' gneisses in the Gatch Quarry.

                 sappbaltstop7.jpg - stop 7, Little Gunpowder Quarry; metagabbro  (amphibolite/hornblende gneiss) foreland basin melange. (UTM: 378264,

                                             4370704, 18S). Quarry entrance off highway 147 at UTM: 377791, 4370837, 18S.

            Reference and internet links:

                    Crowley et al., 1971. New interpretations of the Eastern Piedmont geology of Maryland. Maryland Geol. Surv. Guidebook no. 2 (1971 GSA

                    Field Trip no. 4), 43p. (All information reported above was taken from this publication.)

                    Gates, A.E., Muller, P.D., and Valentino, D.W., 1991, Terranes and tectonics of the Maryland and southeast Pennsylvania Piedmont, in

                    Schultz, A., and Compton-Gooding, E., eds., Geologic evolution of the Eastern United States: Field Trip Guidebook for the Northeast-

                    Southeast Sectional Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Virginia Museum of Natural History, v. 2, p. 1-28.

                    http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/1264/pdf/trip5.pdf - Multiple Paleozoic Metamorphic Histories, Fabrics, and Faulting in the Westminster

                    and Potomac Terranes, Central Appalachian Piedmont, Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland  By Michael Kunk, Robert Wintsch,

                    Scott Southworth, Bridget Mulvey,Charles Naeser, and Nancy Naeser, 2004 NE-SE GSA field guide.

                    http://geology.er.usgs.gov/eespteam/Greatfalls/web_site/pdf_files/gf_layout.pdf - 2000, geologic map of the Potomac River gorge,

                     Great Falls Park, Virginia

                 sapppavtable6.jpg    - Correlation chart of selected plutonic and stratigraphic units, Piedmont of Maryland and Virginia, p. 176, Table 6.

                 sapppav138.jpg       - Generalized lithotectonic map of the Piedmont of Virginia and Maryland, Pavlides, 1989, p. 138, Fig. 1A (North)

                 sapppav139a.jpg     - Generalized lithotectonic map of the Piedmont of Virginia and Maryland, Pavlides, 1989, p. 139, Fig. 1A (South)

                 sapppav139b.jpg     - Generalized terrane map of the Piedmont of Virginia and Maryland, Pavlides, 1989, p. 139, Fig. 1B

                 sapppav140.jpg       -  Map of the Rappahannock River - Mineral area, Virginia, Pavlides 1989, p. 140, Fig 2

                                                          OCte = Everona Limesone; Cq = Cambrian quartzite; Oe = Ellisville pluton;

                                                          Oq = Quantico Fm; Cc = Chopawamsic Fm; Ct = Ta River Metamorphic suite;

                                                          Zc = Catoctin? Fm;

                 sapppav164ab.jpg   - Generalized geologic map of the Somerville-Occoquan River area, northern Virginia Piedmont, p. 164, Fig. 10

                 sapppav164a.jpg     - Generalized geologic map of the Somerville-Occoquan River area, map only, p. 164, Fig. 10

                 sapppav164b.jpg     - Generalized geologic map of the Somerville-Occoquan River area, legend only, p. 164, Fig. 10

                 sapprankin69.jpg    - Geological map of the Blue Ridge belt - location of dated samples from Mount Rogers, Grandfather Mountain and

                                                  the Catoctin near Gettysburg (Rankin et al, 1969).

                 sapprankin75.jpg    - Geologic map of the crystalline Appalachians south of lat. 40N, showing distribution of rocks older than mid-Ordovician

                                                on either side of the supposed location of the Iapetus suture (Rankin, D.W. 1975).

                  sapparvonia.jpg      - Map of the Chopawamsic belt compiled by Dr. Norman Duke

                  sapparvoniaN.jpg    - Map of the northern part of the Chopawamsic belt  compiled by Dr. Norman Duke

                     Guide Books:

                     Pavlides, L. 1976. Piedmont geology of the Fredericksburg, Virginia, area and vicinity, Arlington, Virginia. GSA NE - SE sections

                     Guidebook for Field Trips 1 and 4, 44 p.

                     Metamorphic Rocks of the Potomac Terrane in the Potomac Valley of Virginia and Maryland

                     P. M. Hanshaw Field Trip Guide Book, Volume T202, 1989; ISBN 0-87590-587-0, AGU CODE IG2025870.

                    http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/of02-437/of02437.pdf - Digital Geologic Map and Database of the Frederick 30’ x 60’Quadrangle,

                     Evans, N.H., and Milici, R.C. 1994. Stratigraphic relations and structural chaos on the southeastern limb of the Blue Ridge anticlinorium

                     and points east, Central Virgina Piedmont, in Schultz, A., and Henika, B., 1994. Field guides to Southern Appalachian structure,

                     stratigraphy and engineering geology, Virginia Tech Dept. of Geological Sciences Guidebook no. 10, 64 p.

                sapp_Mineral_mines.jpg   - Map showing the distribution of mineral occurrences in the Mineral region of Virginia (Craig, 1978).

                sapparvoniaS.jpg             - Map of the southern part of the Chopawamsic belt compiled by Dr. Norman Duke

                sapparvoniaap.jpg            - Airphoto of the Arvonia slate mine, Arvonia

                                                        The Arvonia Slate occupies the core of a narrow syncline within the Arvonia synclinorium. The protolithic shales

                                                        stratigraphically overlie the arc rocks of the Chopawamsic terrane, and were likely deposited in mid-late Ordovician

                                                        post-arc basins.  

                sappwillistopo.jpg             - Topographic map of the Willis Mountain area

                sappgalaxS.jpg      -  southern portion of the above map.

                sappbumbarger.jpg - geological map of the Bumbarger deposit (Gair and Slack, 1984)

                sappapbum.jpg       - airphoto of the area in the vicinity of the Bumbarger UTM: 506788, 4063438, 17S, and Gossen Howard mines,

                                               UTM: 506446, 4062779.

                saptopbum.jpg        - topo map showing road to the Bumbarger mine.

                saptop2bum.jpg      - topo map of the Galax area; UTM Galax: 506544, 4057824, 17S

                sapbettybakerap.jpg - airphoto of the Betty Bake mine location, north of Hillsville

                Reference:

                Gair, J. and Slack, J.F. 1984. Deformation, geochemistry, and origin of massive sulphide deposits, Gossen Lead District, Virginia. Economic Geology, 79, 7, p. 1483-1526.

                Abst: "the deposits occur at one horizon and have been variously folded and brecciated after sulfide deposition.";  the Bumbarger "deposit contains abundant coarse breccia fragments of wall rock around which the massive deposit has flowed (during deformation and metamorphism), probably thickening the deposit significantly.";  "sedimentation and initial sulfide deposition took place in a deep, elongate marine basin or graben overlying a crustal rift zone.";  "a line of hydrothermal vents on the sea floor that generated the sulfide deposits."

                Location: NCSR 1217 ~ 3000 feet NE of intersection with NCSR 1211, northeast of Bakersville, NC, Bakersville, NC-TN quadrangle.

                UTM coordinates: 396550mE, 3986740mN NAD27

                Hibbard, J., Stewart, K.G., and Henika, W.S. 2001. Framing the Piedmont zone in North Carolina and southern Virginia.

                Field Trip Guide 50th Ann. Meet. SE Sect., GSA, Raleigh, N.C., 26 p.

                Airphotos:  sappbakersvilleap.jpg and  sappbakeclogiteap.jpg (UTM's as WGS84 )

                Airphoto mosaic of the area between Bakerville and the Township of French Broad; the Township of French Broad and Sylva;

                and Sylva and Hayesville.

                     B.V. Miller, K.G. Stewart, C.F. Miller, C.W. Thomas, 2000. U-Pb ages from the Bakersville, North Carolina, eclogite: Taconian eclogite

                metamorphism.  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 2000 , p. A-62. Taconian eclogite metamorphism followed

                     F. Z. Page, E. J. Essene and S. B. Mukasa, 2003. Prograde and retrograde history of eclogites from the Eastern Blue Ridge, North

                Carolina,  Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 21, 7, p. 685   http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1525-1314.2003.00479.x/abs/

                       Trupe et al. 2003.  The Burnsville fault: Evidence for the timing and kinematics of southern Appalachian Acadian dextral transform tectonics.

                BGSA, 115, p. 1365-1376  http://www.unc.edu/~kgstewar/downloads/Burnsville.pdf

"the contact between the metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks of the Ashe Metamorphic Suite and the Grenville basement rocks of the western Blue Ridge corresponds to a Devonian high-grade, dextral strike-slip fault zone, the Burnsville fault. Timing of motion on the Burnsville fault is constrained by field relationships, metamorphic fabrics and assemblages, and radiometric ages. A U-Pb zircon crystallization age for a pegmatite sheared by the Burnsville fault shows that the last movement on the fault must be younger than 377 Ma." (Frasnian - Late Devonian) ...  "and older than than ca. 360 Ma." (Fammenian - Late Devonian) .... "The Gossan Lead fault of northwesternmost North Carolina and southwestern Virginia is the likely continuation of the Burnsville fault to the northeast.  Southwest of Asheville, North Carolina, the Burnsville fault may connect to the Devonian Dahlonega shear zone, or may be cut by post-Devonian thrust faults associated with the Alleghanian orogeny.  Diachroneity of Acadian clastic wedges, the presence of Silurian-Devonian pull-apart basins, the presence of Devonian highgrade,  dextral shearing in the Inner Piedmont, and recent plate reconstructions for the middle Paleozoic, support the interpretation that the late phase of the Acadian orogeny in the southern Appalachians was primarily a dextral transpressional event. "

                with implications for magma history and evolution of the Southern Appalachian orogen. Am. Jour. Sci., 300, p. 142-172.

                http://www.geology.yale.edu/~ajs/2000/02.2000.02Miller.pdf

                sappRidgeway-Mines.jpg  - map with the location and geological context of the Brewer, Haile and Ridgeway gold mines (Lapointe, D., 1997).

                Airphoto of the Haile mine (Kershaw at bottom left; mine at centre)

                Airphoto of the Brewer mine (Jefferson at right of airphoto)

                Airphoto of the Ridgeway mine, c. 30 km ENE of Atlanta (road running WNW from the mine leads to the town of Ridgway)

                sappraleigh.jpg   - geological map of the Raleigh belt east of the Carolina Slate belt (Farrar, S.S., 1984).

                http://instruct.uwo.ca/earth-sci/fieldlog/Sapp/sappmodoc_kiokee.jpg  - map showing the relationship of the Kiokee belt to the Cambrian rocks

                of the Carolina Slate belt (Sacks, P.E. et al., 1989).

                Reference:               

                Gillon et al., 1998, The Ridgeway Gold Deposits: A Window to the Evolution of a Neoproterozoic Intra-Arc Basin in the Carolina

                terrane, South Carolina.http://carolinageologicalsociety.org/GB%201998/Output/Gillon.html  - 

                sappchunky.jpg          - map of the Chunky Gal 'ophiolite'  (Lacazette, A.J. and Rast, N., 1989.)

                sapgrtsmokmet.jpg     - map of the metamorphic zonation in the northern Western Blue Ridge of the Great Smoky Mountains

                                                   (Kohn and Malloy, 2003)

                References:

                Hopson, J.L. et al. 1989. Geology of the Eastern Blue Ridge, Northeastern Georgia and the adjacent Carolinas. Georgia

                Geological Society Guidebooks, v. 9., 3, p. 1-40.

                Lacazette, A.J. and Rast, N. 1989. Tectonic melange at Chunky Gal Mountain, North Carolina Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Paper 228. p. 217

                References:
                Absher-B-Steven; McSween-Harry-Y Jr. 1985. Granulites at Winding Stair Gap, North Carolina; the thermal axis of Paleozoic

                sappwestblueridge.jpg - geological map of the western Blue Ridge between the Great Smoky and Haysville faults in southeastern Tennessee

                and western North Carolina (Murphy belt; Ducktown copper).

               sappthornhill.jpg  -  Thornhill east-facing Cambrian to Mississippian section beween the Copper Ridge and Saltlake faults,

               highway US 25E. (from Byerly, D.W. et al., 1986.)

               Airphoto: sappthornhillap.jpg

               knoxmissvalores.jpg - map showing major carbonate-hosted Mississippi Valley-typ districts of the Southern Appalachians (after Misra, K.

               and Fulweiler, R.E., 1992; after Hoagland, 1976)

               knoxore.jpg - generalized stratigraphic column , Mascot-Jefferson City zinc district ( after Misra, K.and Fulweiler, R.E., 1992; after

               Crawford et al, 1969).

               References:

               Byerly, D.W. et al. (10 other authors), 1986. Thorn Hill: a classic Paleozoic stratigraphic section in Tennessee Geo. Soc. America

               Centennial Field Guide - southeastern Section, p. 131-136.

               Misra, K.C., and Fulweiler, R.E., 1992. Zinc deposits of the Mascot-Jefferson City District, East Tennessee, p. 9-37, in Misra, K.C.,

               Fulweiler, R.E., and Walker, K.R. 1992. Zinc Deposits in East Tennessee. Guidebook , Society of Economic Geologists

               Field Conference, Guidebook Series, v. 14.

               McCormick, J.E et al. 1985. Field Trip #1: Zinc deposits of the Mascot-Jefferson City and Copper Ridge districts, East Tennessee

               Field Trips in the Appalachians; SE-GSA 1985. Field Trips 1- 5, 7, Univ. Tennessee Dept. of Geological Sciences Studies in Geology 9.

                References (not complete; arranged according to year of publication):

Rankin, D.W., et al. 1969. Zircon ages of felis volcanic rocks in the Uppr Precambrian of the Blue Ridge, Appalachian Mountains, Science, 166, p. 741-744.

Crowley, W.P. et al. 1971. New interpretations of the Eastern Piedmont geology of Maryland. Maryland Geol. Surv. Guidebook no. 2 (1971 GSA field trip no. 4), 43p.

Rankin, D.W. 1975. The continental margin of eastern North America in the Southern Appalachians: the opening and closing of the Proto-Atlantic ocean. Am. Jour. Sci., 275-A, 298-336.

Conley, J.F. 1978. Geology of the Piedmont of Virginia - interpretation and problems, in Contributions to Virginia Geology - III. Virginia Div. Min. Res. Pub. 7, p. 115-149.

Pavlides, L. 1981. The central Virginian volcanic-plutonic belt: an island arc of Cambrian (?) age. U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 1231-A, 34p.

Nesbitt, B.E. 1982. Metamorphic Sulfide-Silicate Equilibria in the Massive Sulfide Deposits at Ducktown, Tennessee. Economic Geology, v.77, p. 364-378

Williams, H. and Hatcher, R.D. 1982. Suspect terranes and accretionary history of the Appalachian orogen. Geology, v. 10, p. 530-536.

Farrar, S.S. 1984. The Goochland granulite terrane: remobilized Grenville basement in the eastern Virginia Piedmont. GSA special Paper 194, p. 215-227.

Gair, J. and Slack, J.F. 1984. Deformation, geochemistry, and origin of massive sulphide deposits, Gossen Lead District, Virginia. Economic Geology, 79, 7, p. 1483-1526.

 Hatcher et al. 1984. Structure and chemical petrology of three southern Applachian mafic-ultrmafic complexes and their emplacement and origin of Appalachian ultramafic bodies. Am. Jour. Sci., v. 284, p. 484-506.

Muller, P.D. and Edwards, J. 1985. Tectonostratigraphic relationships in the Central Maryland Piedmont. GSA NE Sect., Abst., v. 17, p. 55.

McCormick, J.E et al. 1985. Field Trip #1: Zinc deposits of the Mascot-Jefferson City and Copper Ridge districts, East Tennessee Field Trips in the Appalachians; SE-GSA 1985. Field Trips 1- 5, 7, Univ. Tennessee Dpt. of Geological Sciences Studies in Geology 9.

McSween, H. Y and Hatcher, R.D. 1985. Field Trip #4: ophiolites (?) of the Southern Appalachians Blue Ridge Field Trips in the Appalachians; SE-GSA 1985 Field Trips 1- 5, 7, Unin. Tennessee Dpt of Geological Sciences Studies in Geology 9 144-170.

Slater, W.R et al. 1985. Field Trips in the Appalachians; SE-GSA 1985 Field Trips 1- 5, 7, Univ. Tennessee Dpt. of Geological Sciences Studies in Geology 9.

Byerly, D.W. et al. (10 other authors) 1986. Thorn Hill: a classic Paleozoic stratigraphic section in Tennessee Geo. Soc. America Centennial Field Guide - southeastern Section, p. 131-136.

Horton, J.W. Drake, A.A., Jr., Rankin, D.W., and Dallmeyer, R.D. 1988. Preliminary tectonostratigraphic terrane map of the Central and Southern Appalachian orogen Abst. w. pgms, Denver 20 7 A123.  Comment- Penobscottian orogeny is between the L. Cambrian ? Chopawamsic and the 495 Occoquan granite which cuts the Chopawamsic-Potomac terrane boundary; Devonian orogeny in south at 380-340 is younger than in New England at 400-380; Suwanee terrane = Gondwanaland fragment accreted at 330-270.

Higgins, M.W. Crawford, R.F., Atkins, R.L., and Crawford, T.J. 1989. The Macon Complex; an ancient accretionary complex in the southern Appalachians Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Paper 228 229-246.

Horton, J.W. et al. 1989. Tectonostratigraphic terranes and Paleozoic boundaries in the central and southern Appalachians, p. 213-246 in Dallmeyer, R.D., ed., Terranes in the Circum-Atlantic Paleozoic Orogens, Geol. Soc. Am. Special Paper 230.

Hopson, J.L. et al. 1989. Geology of the Eastern Blue Ridge, Northeastern Georgia and the adjacent Carolinas. Georgia Geological Society Guidebooks, v. 9., 3, p. 1-40.

Lacazette, A.J. and Rast, N. 1989. Tectonic melange at Chunky Gal Mountain, North Carolina Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Paper 228. p. 217-

Pavlides, Louis. 1989. Early Paleozoic composite melange terrane, central Appalachian Piedmont,Virginia and Maryland; its origin and tectonic history Geol. Soc. America Special Paper 228 135-192.

Sacks, P.E. et al. 1989. The Burks Mountain complex, Kiokee belt, southern Appalachian Piedmont of south Carolina and Georgia. GSA Special Paper 231, p. 75.

 Raymond, L.A. and Yurkovich, S.P. 1989. Block-in-matrix structures in the North Carolina Blue Ridge belt and their significance for the tectonic history of the Southern Appalachian orogen Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Paper 228, p. 195.

Gates, A.E., Muller, P.D., and Valentino, D.W., 1991, Terranes and tectonics of the Maryland and southeast Pennsylvania Piedmont, in Schultz, A., and Compton-Gooding, E., eds., Geologic evolution of the Eastern United States: Field Trip Guidebook for the Northeast-Southeast Sectional Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Virginia Museum of Natural History, v. 2, p. 1-28.

 Misra, K.C., Fulweiler, R.E., and Walker, K.R. 1992. Zinc Deposits in East Tennessee. Guidebook , Society of Economic Geologists Field Conference, Guidebook Series, v. 14.

 Carter, M.W. et al. 1995. Field Trip Guide to the Startigraphic and Structural Relationships in the Western Blue Ridge Foothills of Southeastern Tennessee. GSA Southeastern Section Meeting, Knoxville, Tennessee, p. 23-45.

Adams, M.G. and Raymond, L.A. 1996. Eclogite and melange within the Ashe metamorphic suite, Blue Ridge Belt, western North Carolina, U.S.A. GSA Ann. Meet. Abst. and Programs, Denver, 28, 7, 507-508. Comment - Pelite and mafite dominated Ashe contains blocks of metamorphosed felspathic arenite and wackes, metaconglomerates, dolomitic marble, phacoidal ultramafic and eclogite bodies (20 cm - 1 km); eclogites formed at 725 degrees C, 15 kb are retrograded to hornblende+plag (700 degrees C, 10 kb); melange at the base of the Ashe has pelitic matrix of kyanite-garnet mica schist (aluminous); early eclogite formation, mixed with pelite to form a melange; occurred in a west- verging subduction zone at the Laurentian margin before and during the Taconic; later events are Acadian and Pennsylvanian retrograde metamorphism.

Crowe, D.E. 1997. An introduction to the Gold Deposits of the Carolina slate Belt. (manuscript).

Gillon, K.A. et al. 1997. Geology of the Ridgeway gold deposits, Ridgeway, South Carolina. (Kennecott Mineral company, manuscript).

Lapoint, D.J. 1997. Successful exploration techniques for Haile-Ridgeway type gold deposits in South Carolina ( Appalachian Resources, manuscript).

Charles H. Trupe Kevin G. Stewart, Mark G. Adams, Cheryl L. Waters, Brent V. Miller and Lauren K. Hewitt 2003. The Burnsville fault: Evidence for the timing and kinematics of southern Appalachian Acadian dextral transform tectonics Geological Society of America Bulletin 115 11 1365–1376. Comment - ...the contact between the metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks of the Ashe Metamorphic Suite and the Grenville basement rocks of the western Blue Ridge corresponds to a Devonian high-grade, dextral strike-slip fault zone, the Burnsville fault.  A U-Pb zircon crystallization age for a pegmatite sheared by the Burnsville fault shows that the last movement on the fault must be younger than 377 Ma. Previously published 40Ar/39Ar cooling ages show that the Burnsville fault must be older than ca. 360 Ma.  The Gossan Lead fault of northwesternmost North Carolina and southwestern Virginia is the likely continuation of the Burnsville fault to the northeast. Southwest of Asheville, North Carolina, the Burnsville fault may connect to the Devonian Dahlonega shear zone, or may be cut by post- Devonian thrust faults associated with the Alleghanian orogeny. Diachroneity of Acadian clastic wedges, the presence of Silurian-Devonian pull-apart basins, the presence of Devonian high-grade, dextral shearing in the Inner Piedmont, and recent plate reconstructions for the middle Paleozoic, support the interpretation that the late phase of the Acadian orogeny in the southern Appalachians was primarily a dextral transpressional event. The Burnsville fault and the Inner Piedmont formed the boundaries of a dextral transform margin that may have extended the length of the Appalachian orogen.