New insights into Virginia’s coastal plain geology
Learn how detailed mapping and augering reveal a north-trending, east-dipping zone of reverse faults near Hopewell, Virginia, and what this means for regional tectonics and sediment history.
This study documents stratigraphic and structural relationships from the Cretaceous through the Pleistocene in the James and Appomattox River area. It explains how faulting, erosion, and changes in sea level shaped the modern landscape and the distribution of formations such as the Potomac, Aquia, Nanjemoy, and Yorktown. The findings come from field mapping, boreholes, trenches, and fossil evidence, offering a clear view of how the coastal plain was built and deformed over millions of years.
- How a major fault zone developed and influenced river courses and terrace formation
- Relationships among key formations in the Coastal Plain, including where major units are absent or missing
- Evidence for marine transgressions and shallowing seas in late Paleocene to Miocene time
- Methods used to date movement along faults and to interpret past geologic environments
Ideal for readers of regional geology, tectonics, and stratigraphy, as well as students and professionals researching the Virginia Coastal Plain.