North Carolina North Carolina GeologyGeology

Dr. Greg PillarDr. Greg Pillar

Assistant Professor of Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and ChemistryEnvironmental Science and Chemistry

Queens University of CharlotteQueens University of Charlotte

Rock Cycle

WeatheringAnd erosion

Deposition andlithification

Sediments

MetamorphicRock

SedimentaryRock

IgneousRock

Deposition andlithification

Sediments

Weathering and erosion

Melting

Melting

Magma

Magma

Cooling

Cooling

Heat andpressure

Heat andpressure

Most recent (lots of mammals)Most recent (lots of mammals)Four main Four main parts of parts of geologic time geologic time scale (based scale (based on fossils)on fossils)

Dinosaurs and first Dinosaurs and first flowering plantsflowering plants

Appearance of fish, plants, Appearance of fish, plants, insects, reptiles, etc.insects, reptiles, etc.

Before shells and Before shells and hard partshard parts

If Earth history If Earth history were 1 yearwere 1 year

600 MYA

Supercontinent of Rodinia

550 MYA

Iapetus

Ocoee Basin

**

500 MYA

Parts of Asia

North America

Parts of Europe

500 MYA

Taconic Orogeny

**

370 MYA

Avalonia

Parts ofAsia

North Americaand

Parts of Europe

Africa andSouth Amer.(Gondwana)

370 – 400 MYA

AcadianOrogeny*

**

300 - 330 MYA

AlleghenianOrogeny

**

280 MYA

Supercontinent of Pangaea

North America

Appalachian Mtns.

South America.

Africa.

Tethys Sea

Africa,Antarctica,Australia

North America

150 MYA

South America

Parts of Europeand Asia

NorthAmerica

Africa

India, Australiaand Antarctica

**

How did the state of North Carolina develop?

What caused the formation of the geologic belts within North Carolina?

What type of rocks would you expect to find within each belt (physiographic province)?

Geologic Belts: Areas with similar rock types and geologic history

Brevard Fault (blue ridge escarpment)

Inner Piedmont Belt: most deformed/metamorphosed portion of the Piedmont, rocks are about 500 – 700 myo (Iapetus Rocks)

Rocks

Gneiss andSchist with (younger) granitic intrusions

Kings Mountain Belt: moderately deformed and metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks about 400 – 500 myo

Rocks

Schistt, marblephyllite, quartzitegneiss

monadnocks

Charlotte Belt: consists mostly of igneous rocks, 300-500 myo(tactonic orogeny)

Rocks

Granite, diorite,gabbro (mafic)

Carolina Slate Belt: consists of heated and deformed volcanic and sedimentary rocks (gondwana terranes)

Rocks

granite, argillite, slate, schist, phyllite, gneiss, quartzite, and gold

Triassic basins: the basins are filled with sedimentary rocks about 190-200 mya.

Rocks

conglomerate,sandstone,mudstone

Coastal Plain: wedge of marine sedimentary rocks that thickens as you move toward the east

Orangeburg scarp (fall zone)(2 myo)

Suffolk scarp(125,000 y)