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Stratigraphy, Structure, and Tectonics

A synthesizing integration of individual undergraduate stratigraphy, structure, and tectonics courses into one course

Lynn S. Fichter and Steve Whitmeyer

Department of Geology and Environmental Science
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807 MSC 6903

whitmesj@jmu.edu
http://csmgeo.csm.jmu.edu/geollab/Whitmeyer/web/index.htm

fichtels@jmu.edu
http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/Fichter/Fichter/Fichterls.html

Related Publications

2014 - Oral Presentation describing the SST strategy: GSA Southeastern Section - 63 Annual Meeting
    Integrating Structure, Stratigraphy and Tectonics in Undergraduate BA and BS Curricula

2017 - New directions in Wilson Cycle concepts: Supercontinent and Tectonic Rock Cycles: Geosphere; December 2007; v. 3; no. 6; p. 511–526

Elsevier SST Manuscripts

Below are the two manuscripts as submitted in draft form, along with their illustrations, and the documents referenced in the manuscripts. These are subject to change as they go through the editing process.

• Wilson Cycle - 8.5 x 11 version
• Wilson Cycle - 11 x 17 version
• Wilson Cycle - 22 x 36 poster

Power point lectures used in historical geology to introduce the Wilson cycle model. These have evolved and continue to evolve over the years. Where we know the sources of picture or figures that are not ours we have hyperlinked them. If you want high quality versions of any of our figures send us a note. Feel free to use, adapt, and modify these power points in any way you choose. We request only that the source be acknowledged.

• Wilson Cycle - power point 1 - rifting stages, ophiolite suite, and 1st closing stages
• Wilson Cycle - power point 2 - Cordilleran subduction, cont-cont collision, peneplain
• Tectonic Rock Cycle

Figures used in the paper.

• Fig 1 - Wilson cycle
• Fig 2 - Analysis of a typical outcrop for S, S, and T
• Fig 3 - Tectonic Rock Cycle (references)
• Fig 4 - Exercise data record table
• Fig 5 - Thumbnail tectonic cross section
• Fig 6 - Wilson cycle - Stage I: identifying tectonic regimes in final cross section
• Fig 7 - Wilson cycle - Stage I: rocks to identify in final cross section

Lab instructions we use in each Wilson cycle lab are linked below. Feel free to use and modify these in any way that is useful to you.

• First lab instructions - identification of rocks (Fichter/Whitmeyer version)
• Second lab instructions - locating rocks in the Wilson Cycle (Fichter/Whitmeyer version)

Rock Identification Keys: we provide keys to help students do their identifications. These classificatons are more involved than in introductory classes, but are the keys we use in historical geology, so they carry over directly into SST. These more advanced rock identifications are often necessary to do these Wilson cycle exercises at an advanced level.

• Rock identification keys:

Paper # 2: Whitmeyer, S.J. and Fichter, L.S., 2018, Integrating Structural and Stratigraphic Field Data to Build a Tectonic Model for the Mid-Atlantic Appalachian Orogenic Cycle

• Figure 1 - Theoretical models relevant to the field transect areas
• Figure 2 - Location of the field transect (red line) discussed in the text.
• Figure 3 - Topographic map of the proximal areas along Rts. 211 and 259
• Figure 4 - An example cross-sectional interpretation of the geology along the Rt. 211-Rt. 259 transect
• Figure 5 - Photo of an outcrop highlighting a break-thrust fold,
• Figure 6 - Example of a student’s detailed outcrop sketch of the feature in Fig. 5A
• Figure 7 - Excerpt from the instruction packet given to students
• Figure 8 - Temporal summary of tectonic events in the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge provinces in the Mid-Atlantic region
• Appendix A - Field Data Sheets Used by Students to Collect Stratigraphic and Structural Data
• Appendix B - Generalized Stratigraphy of the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge Provinces of the Mid- Atlantic Region

Example of Student Drawn Cross Sections (but not the complete set) by Noah Fleischer, Ebony Williams, and Grant Colip

SAATS Basin Analysis Models

Figure 1 contains two theoretical  SAATS (Subsidence-Accommodation-Accumulation-Time-Series) models developed in SST to understand foreland and rift-to-drift basin development.  These basin analsis models are where stratigraphy/sedimentation/deposystems studies integrate with tectonics. The rationale for these is not presented in this paper. References are at back of the paper.

Below are links to two power points presenting the empirical and theoretical rationale behind these models. These are extracted from the class lectures where these models are developed; the full power points - not linked here - explore complications and exceptions to the models.

Permission is given to use, modify, add to, subtract from these slides for educational purposes, as long as the source is acknowledged.

SST-ASST-Foreland Basin Model

SST-ASST-Rift-to-Drift Model