Date of Award
Summer 6-2022
Degree Type
Masters Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
School
Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences
Committee Chair
Jeremy Deans
Committee Chair School
Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences
Committee Member 2
Frank Heitmuller
Committee Member 2 School
Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences
Committee Member 3
Mark Puckett
Committee Member 3 School
Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences
Abstract
The Appalachian Mountains have a complex geologic history spanning three orogenic periods, the Taconic, the Acadian/Neoacadian, and Alleghanian orogenies. The Inner Piedmont of the Appalachian Mountains within Alabama contains two distinct lithologic complexes, the Dadeville Complex, and the Opelika Complex separated by the Stonewall Line. These complexes were formed during an arc-back arc fringing system during the Taconic orogeny and emplaced and recorded peak metamorphism during the Acadian orogeny.
The Dadeville Complex is an allochthonous arc terrain built on extended Laurentian crust. The mode of transportation and accretion after formation is not well understood, which has implications for the role of modes of accretion during mountain building events. Three hypotheses of transportation of the Dadeville Complex have been proposed: 1. channel/crustal flow along the margin, 2. klippe thrust movement perpendicular to the margin and, 3. translation along margin-parallel shear zones.
F1 folds with lineations trending N-S were created during peak metamorphism during the Acadian orogeny when shortening was occurring E-W synchronous with emplacement of migmatites within the Dadeville Complex and collision between the IP and DC. F2 folds are upright and trend E-W from N-S shortening, which may have occurred shortly after peak metamorphism, overprinting most F1 structures with lineations trending E. These results suggest that klippe kinematics with a component of orogen parallel translation, with modifications to these models, were the primary mode of translation for the Dadeville Complex. Additionally, the Stonewall Line shows evidence for being a weakly developed shear zone showing dip-slip motion within the Cusseta quadrangle.
Recommended Citation
Black, Timothy, "EMPLACEMENT OF THE DADEVILLE COMPLEX OF THE SOUTHERNMOST INNER PIEDMONT WITHIN THE 7.5 MIN. CUSSETA QUADRANGLE, CHAMBERS COUNTY, ALABAMA: CHANNEL FLOW, KLIPPE KINEMATICS, OR OROGEN PARALLEL TRANSLATION" (2022). Master's Theses. 924.
https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/924