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Mineral Resources > Online Spatial Data > Geology > by state > North Carolina Geology

Geologic units in Burke county, North Carolina

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Metamorphosed Granitic Rock (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers 1.0 % of this area

Metamorphosed Granitic Rock (680-710 my) - massive to foliated, locally mylonitic. Beech, Crossnore, Brown Mountain, Lansing, and other granitic rocks.

Lithology: granitoid; mylonite

Chilhowee Group, Grandfather Mountain Formation; Felsic metavolcanic rocks and metasedimentary rocks (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Felsic metavolcanic rocks and metasedimentary rocks (820my) - tentatively correlated with Grandfather Mountain Formation.

Lithology: felsic metavolcanic rock; metasedimentary rock

Blowing Rock Gneiss (Middle Proterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Blowing Rock Gneiss (1000 my) - unconformity; abundant white potassic feldspar megacrysts in finely banded biotite schist, locally calcareous; interlayered with quartz-feldspar schist, calcareous biotite schist, phyllite, black slate, calcareous quartzite, sulfidic greenstone, and siliceous tuff.

Lithology: gneiss; schist; phyllite; slate; quartzite; greenstone; tuff

Inequigranular Biotite Gneiss (Cambrian/Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Inequigranular Biotite Gneiss - weakly foliated to massive, contains plagioclase megacrysts and, rarely, larger megacrysts of quartz and feldspar.

Lithology: biotite gneiss

Rocks of Brevard Fault Zone (Uncertain, possibly Permian or Devonian) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Rocks of Brevard Fault Zone - "fish scale" schist and phyllonite, graphitic; interlayered with feldspathic metasandstone, marble lenses.

Lithology: schist; phyllonite; metasedimentary rock; marble

Migmatitic Granitic Gneiss (Ordovician/Cambrian) at surface, covers 14 % of this area

Migmatitic Granitic Gneiss - foliated to massive, granitic to quartz dioritic; biotite gneiss and amphibolite common.

Lithology: granitic gneiss; biotite gneiss; amphibolite

Megacrystic Biotite Gneiss (Cambrian/Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Megacrystic Biotite Gneiss - poorly layered to massive; megacrysts of microcline and quartz; local mica schist, amphibolite, and biotite gneiss

Lithology: biotite gneiss; mica schist; amphibolite

Mica Schist (Cambrian/Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers 24 % of this area

Mica Schist - Garnet, staurolite, kyanite, or sillimanite occur locally; lenses and layers of quartz schist, micaceous quartzite, calc-silicate rock, biotite gneiss, amphibolite, and phyllite.

Lithology: mica schist; quartzite; calc-silicate rock; biotite gneiss; amphibolite; phyllite

Chilhowee Group, Grandfather Mountain Formation; Metasiltstone (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Metasiltstone - locally contains thin bedded iron-bearing dolomitic marble; interlayered with phyllite, metagraywacke, and meta-arkose.

Lithology: metasedimentary rock; marble; phyllite

Henderson Gneiss (Cambrian) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Henderson Gneiss (524 my) - monzonitic to granodioritic; inequigranular.

Lithology: gneiss

Linville Metadiabase (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Linville Metadiabase - metadiabase, greenstone, and amphibolite dikes and sills; massive to schistose.

Lithology: metamorphic rock; greenstone; amphibolite

Biotite Gneiss and Schist (Cambrian/Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers 27 % of this area

Biotite Gneiss and Schist - inequigranular, locally abundant potassic feldspar and garnet; interlayered and gradational with calc-silicate rock, sillimanite-mica schist, mica schist, and amphibolite. Contains small masses of granitic rock.

Lithology: biotite gneiss; mica schist; amphibolite; calc-silicate rock; granite

Chilhowee Group; Upper Chilhowee (Cambrian) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Upper Chilhowee - vitreous quartz arenite, white to light gray; interbedded sandy siltstone and shale. Erwin and Hampton formations of Hot Springs window.

Lithology: arenite; siltstone; shale; sand

Chilhowee Group, Grandfather Mountain Formation; Metagraywacke (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Metagraywacke - cross-bedding and graded bedding common, locally conglomeratic; interlayered with metasiltstone and phyllite.

Lithology: metasedimentary rock; phyllite

Chilhowee Group, Grandfather Mountain Formation; Greenstone (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Greenstone - schistose to massive, amygdaloidal; interlayered with metasedimentary rocks. Includes Montezuma Member (metabasalt) in upper part.

Lithology: greenstone; metasedimentary rock; meta-basalt

Metamorphosed Granitic Rock (Ordovician/Cambrian) at surface, covers 7 % of this area

Metamorphosed Granitic Rock (455-540 my) - equigranular to megacrystic, foliated to massive. Includes Toluca Granite.

Lithology: metamorphic rock

Biotite Granitic Gneiss (Middle Proterozoic) at surface, covers 9 % of this area

Biotite Granitic Gneiss - unconformity; pinkish gray to light gray, massive to well-foliated, granitic to quartz monzonitic; includes variably mylonitized orthogneiss and paragneiss, interlayered amphibolite, calc-silicate rock, and marble. Includes granites of the Bryson City area, Straight Fork window, and Elk Park Plutonic Suite.

Lithology: granitic gneiss; amphibolite; calc-silicate rock; marble

Chilhowee Group, Grandfather Mountain Formation; Meta-arkose (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Meta-arkose - sericitic, conglomeratic, locally cross-bedded; interlayered metasiltstone and slate.

Lithology: metasedimentary rock; slate

Chilhowee Group; Lower Chilhowee (Cambrian) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Lower Chilhowee - feldspathic arenite, white to yellowish gray. Minor silty shale, feldspathic siltstone, and conglomerate in lower part. Includes Unicoi Formation of Hot Springs window.

Lithology: arenite; shale; siltstone; conglomerate

Chilhowee Group, Grandfather Mountain Formation; Porphyritic felsic volcanic rock (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Porphyritic felsic volcanic rock (820 my) - phyllitic to schistose, contains euhedral to subhedral phenocrysts of gray quartz and pink potassic feldspar. Resembles quartzite and meta-arkose.

Lithology: felsic metavolcanic rock

Meta-ultramafic Rock (Paleozoic/Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Meta-ultramafic Rock - metamorphosed dunite and peridotite; serpentine, soapstone, and other altered ultramafic rock. Only larger bodies shown.

Lithology: metamorphic rock; serpentinite

Alligator Back Formation; Gneiss (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Gneiss - finely laminated to thin layered; locally contains massive gneiss and micaceous granule conglomerate; includes schist, phyllite, and amphibolite.

Lithology: gneiss; conglomerate; schist; phyllite; amphibolite

Amphibolite and Biotite Gneiss (Cambrian/Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Amphibolite and Biotite Gneiss - interlayered; minor layers and lenses of hornblende gneiss, metagabbro, mica schist, and granitic rock.

Lithology: amphibolite; biotite gneiss; mafic gneiss; mica schist; granite; metamorphic rock