Calcareous, bluish-gray shale, weathers yellowish-brown; with thin gray limestone layers; sandstone, siltstone, and locally conglomerate to the east. Thickness 2,000 to 7,000 feet.
Knox Group, including (Ojb) Jonesboro Limestone - Dark bluish-gray, ribboned (silt and dolomite) limestone; numerous interbeds of dark-gray dolomite; quartz sandstone at base. Erosional unconformity at top. Thickness about 2,000 feet; (On) Newala Formation; (Oma) Mascot Dolomite - Light-gray, fine-grained, well-bedded cherty dolomite; mottled (red and green) dolomite characteristic; interbeds of bluish-gray limestone in upper part; chert-matrix quartz sandstone at base. Erosional unconformity at top. Thickness 350 to 800 feet; (Ok) Kingsport Formation - Gray, fine-grained, sparingly cherty dolomite with basal dense, gray limestone sequence. Thickness about 250 feet; (Olv) Longview Dolomite - Siliceous, gray, fine-grained, medium-bedded dolomite; interbeds of gray limestone in upper part. Thickness about 300 feet; (Oc) Chepultepec Dolomite - Light-gray, fine-grained, well-bedded dolomite, moderately cherty; fine-grained limestone locally in upper part; quartz sandstone beds at base. Thickness about 800 feet; (Ccr) Copper Ridge Dolomite - Coarse, dark-gray, knotty dolomite, asphaltic in places; with much gray, medium-grained, well- bedded dolomite; abundant chert; cryptozoans typical. Thickness about 1,000 feet.; (Ccc) Conococheague Limestone - Well-bedded, ribboned (silt and dolomite), dark-gray limestone; interbeds of fine-grained, light- to dark-gray dolomite; sparingly cherty; cryptozoans typical. Thickness about 1,500 feet.
Snowbird Group - The formations at right are applicable chiefly in the area of the Great Smoky Mountains. Thickness 13,000 to about 20,000 feet. Includes Pigeon Siltstone - Laminated, greenish quartzose and feldspathic siltstone; minor fine-grained gray sandstone. Thickness as much as 10,000 feet; Roaring Fork Sandstone - Interbedded massive feldspathic sandstone, greenish siltstone, and greenish phyllite. Maximum thickness 7,000 feet; Metcalf Phyllite - Lustrous, pale-green and silvery sericitic and chloritic phyllite; siltstone interbeds abundant. Thickness uncertain; at least 5,000 feet; Longarm Quartzite - Feldspathic quartzite and arkose, conspicuously light-colored, current bedded and crossbedded. Thickness about 5,000 feet; Wading Branch Formation - Medium- to dark-gray sandy slate to coarse, pebbly feldspathic sandstone and graywacke; basal part is quartz-sericite phyllite; graded bedding common. Thickness about 1,500 feet.
Ocoee Supergroup - Terrigenous clastic sedimentary rocks, for the most part poorly sorted and coarse. The groups are subdivided into formations only in the region of the Great Smoky Mountains. Thickness as much as 50,000 feet. Includes Walden Creek Group - The formations, other than the Sandsuck, have been mapped only in the region of the Great Smoky Mountains. Thickness about 8,000 feet; Sandsuck Formation - Olive-green and gray, argillaceous, micaceous shale with coarse feldspathic sandstone and quartz- pebble conglomerate. Thickness about 2,000 feet; Wilhite Formation - Gray to green siltstone and slate with interbeds of pebble conglomerate, sandstone, and quartzite. Thickness about 4,000 feet; Shields Formation - Massive conglomerate, sandstone, argillaceous slate; conglomerate (pebbles of various rock types) characteristic. Thickness about 1,500 feet; Licklog Formation - Feldspathic sandstone, greenish phyllite, and bluish-gray slate. Thickness about 1,500 feet; and the Cades Sandstone - Gray, well-bedded, fine- to medium-grained feldspathic metasandstone, with interbeds of dark slate and metasiltstone; precise stratigraphic position unknown. Thickness about 1,500 feet; and Rich Butt Sandstone - Gray, massive beds of feldspathic, fine- to medium-grained sandstone, with interbeds of dark slate and arkosic conglomerate; exact stratigraphic position unknown. Thickness about 1,500 feet.
Sequence of gray feldspathic sandstone, arkose, conglomerate, graywacke, siltstone and shale; greenish amygdaloidal basalt flows near middle and base. Thickness 2,000 to 5,000 feet.
The formations, other than the Sandsuck, have been mapped only in the region of the Great Smoky Mountains. Thickness about 8,000 feet. Includes Sandsuck Formation - Olive-green and gray, argillaceous, micaceous shale with coarse feldspathic sandstone and quartz- pebble conglomerate. Thickness about 2,000 feet; Wilhite Formation - Gray to green siltstone and slate with interbeds of pebble conglomerate, sandstone, and quartzite. Thickness about 4,000 feet; Shields Formation - Massive conglomerate, sandstone, argillaceous slate; conglomerate (pebbles of various rock types) characteristic. Thickness about 1,500 feet; Licklog Formation - Feldspathic sandstone, greenish phyllite, and bluish-gray slate. Thickness about 1,500 feet.
White, vitreous quartzite, massive, with interbeds of dark-green silty and sandy shale, minor siltstone, and very fine-grained sandstone. Thickness 1,000 to 1,500 feet.
Dark greenish-gray, silty and sandy, micaceous shale; numerous layers of medium-grained, feldspathic, thinly bedded sandstone. Thickness 500 to 2,000 feet.
Light-gray, well-bedded dolomite with thin- to medium-bedded gray limestone; yellowish-brown residual clays with "jasperoid" diagnostic. Thickness about 1,000 feet.
Great Smoky Group - Characterized by very massive layers of coarse graywacke and arkose. The formations at right have been mapped only in region of the Great Smoky Mountains. Thickness 14,000 to about 25,000 feet; includes Unnamed Sandstone Unit - Gray, coarse sandstone and fine conglomerate, similar to Thunderhead Sandstone. Thickness about 4,500 feet; Anakeesta Formation - Dark-gray, bluish-gray, and black slate with dark-gray interbeds of fine-grained sandstone. Thickness 3,000 to 4,500 feet; Thunderhead Sandstone - Coarse, gray feldspathic sandstone, graywacke, and conglomerate; occurs in massive ledges; graded bedding and blue quartz characteristic. Thickness 5,500 to 6,300 feet; Elkmont Sandstone - Coarse to fine, gray feldspathic sandstone, graywacke, and fine conglomerate; generally finer grained beds in lower part; graded bedding typical. Thickness 1,000 to 8,000 feet.
Quartz-pebble conglomerate, gray pebbly arkose, siltstone and shale; irregular bedding, scour features, crossbedding common; maroon micaceous arkose and shale near middle and base. Thickness about 1,200 feet.
Granite, porphyritic, light-gray to reddish; coarse potash feldspar crystals and clustered interstitial mafics (chloritized biotite and hornblende) give spotted appearance; includes Max Patch Granite.
Dark-gray, medium-bedded dolomite with minor dark limestone beds; locally cherty; cryptozoans abundant in places. Thickness about 1,500 feet.
Chilhowee Group - Conformable sequence of dominantly clastic sediments. Thickness 3,000 to 7,500 feet; including Erwin Formation - White, vitreous quartzite, massive, with interbeds of dark-green silty and sandy shale, minor siltstone, and very fine-grained sandstone. Thickness 1,000 to 1,500 feet; Hesse Sandstone - White, vitreous quartzite, medium- to coarse-grained, occurs in massive ledges; Helenmode Member at top is gray to greenish sandstone and shale. Thickness about 600 feet; Murray Shale - Shale, silty, sandy, dull-green to brown, micaceous. Thickness about 500 feet; Nebo Sandstone - Medium-bedded, fine-grained, white, vitreous quartzite, in part feldspathic. Thickness 250 feet; Nichols Shale - Olive-gray to green, silty and sandy, micaceous shale and siltstone; local lenses of fine-grained feldspathic quartzite. Thickness about 700 feet; Cochran Conglomerate - Quartz-pebble conglomerate, gray pebbly arkose, siltstone and shale; irregular bedding, scour features, crossbedding common; maroon micaceous arkose and shale near middle and base. Thickness about 1,200 feet; Hampton Formation - Dark greenish-gray, silty and sandy, micaceous shale; numerous layers of medium-grained, feldspathic, thinly bedded sandstone. Thickness 500 to 2,000 feet; Unicoi Formation - Sequence of gray feldspathic sandstone, arkose, conglomerate, graywacke, siltstone and shale; greenish amygdaloidal basalt flows near middle and base. Thickness 2,000 to 5,000 feet.
Variegated (red, green, yellow) shale and siltstone; gray, fine-grained sandstone in middle and west part of Valley and Ridge; abundant limestone and dolomite in east. Thickness about 2,000 feet.
Gray, massive beds of feldspathic, fine- to medium-grained sandstone, with interbeds of dark slate and arkosic conglomerate; exact stratigraphic position unknown. Thickness about 1,500 feet.
Olive-gray to green, silty and sandy, micaceous shale and siltstone; local lenses of fine-grained feldspathic quartzite. Thickness about 700 feet.
Conasauga Group, includes Maynardville Limestone, Nolichucky Shale, Honaker Dolomite, Maryville Limestone, Rogersville Shale, Rutledge Limestone, Pumpkin Valley Shale, Rome Formation, Shady Dolomite
Newala Formation includes Mascot Dolomite - Light-gray, fine-grained, well-bedded cherty dolomite; mottled (red and green) dolomite characteristic; interbeds of bluish-gray limestone in upper part; chert-matrix quartz sandstone at base. Erosional unconformity at top. Thickness 350 to 800 feet; and Kingsport Formation - Gray, fine-grained, sparingly cherty dolomite with basal dense, gray limestone sequence. Thickness about 250 feet.
White, vitreous quartzite, medium- to coarse-grained, occurs in massive ledges; Helenmode Member at top is gray to greenish sandstone and shale. Thickness about 600 feet.
Medium-bedded, fine-grained, white, vitreous quartzite, in part feldspathic. Thickness 250 feet.
Olive-green and gray, argillaceous, micaceous shale with coarse feldspathic sandstone and quartz- pebble conglomerate. Thickness about 2,000 feet.
Shale, silty, sandy, dull-green to brown, micaceous. Thickness about 500 feet.
Nodular, argillaceous, gray limestone; in places basal sedimentary breccia, conglomerate, quartz sand; Mosheim Limestone Member (dense, light- to medium-gray limestone) near base. Thickness 25 to 500 feet.
Maynardville Limestone - Thick-bedded, bluish-gray, ribboned (silt and dolomite) nodular limestone; light-gray, fine-grained, laminated to thinly bedded, noncherty dolomite in upper part. Thickness 150 to 400 feet; Nolichucky Shale - Pastel-colored (pink, greenish, olive), flaky clay shale; gray, commonly oolitic, shaly limestone lenses; locally stromatolitic limestone layers; thin, blocky siltstone near middle. Thickness 100 feet in the east to 900 feet in the west; Honaker Dolomite - Dark-gray, medium-bedded dolomite with minor dark limestone beds; locally cherty; cryptozoans abundant in places. Thickness about 1,500 feet.
Mottled pink and light green, coarse grained to porphyritic, massive; contains biotite.
Light-gray, fine-grained, well-bedded cherty dolomite; mottled (red and green) dolomite characteristic; interbeds of bluish-gray limestone in upper part; chert-matrix quartz sandstone at base. Erosional unconformity at top. Thickness 350 to 800 feet.
Metagraywacke, massive, graded bedding common; includes dark-gray slate, mica schist, and nodular calc-silicate rock.
Vitreous quartz arenite, white to light gray; interbedded sandy siltstone and shale. Erwin and Hampton formations of Hot Springs window.
Slate and metasiltstone, dark green to black. Metaconglomerate lentils in upper part; calcareous metasandstone, sandy metalimestone, and quartzite in lower part.
Light gray, fine grained, massive, locally thin bedded or ribboned.
Feldspathic arenite, white to yellowish gray. Minor silty shale, feldspathic siltstone, and conglomerate in lower part. Includes Unicoi Formation of Hot Springs window.
Sandy slate to coarse-grained pebbly metagraywacke with local graded bedding. Basal quartz-sericite schist or phyllite.
Cross-bedded, feldspathic, locally conglomeratic; includes dark slate and metasiltstone.
Siliceous, well-bedded dolomite and magnesian limestone in the central and northwest belts of the Valley. To the southeast, much dark limestone is present and the rocks are only sparsely cherty. Thickness about 3,000 feet.
Greenish gray, fine to medium grained, locally cross-bedded, metamorphosed; interbedded metasiltstone and phyllite.
Unconformity; greenish gray to pinkish gray, porphyroclastic to mylonitic; epidote, sericite, and chlorite common.
Jonesboro Limestone - Dark bluish-gray, ribboned (silt and dolomite) limestone; numerous interbeds of dark-gray dolomite; quartz sandstone at base. Erosional unconformity at top. Thickness about 2,000 feet; Newala Formation inlcuding Mascot Dolomite - Light-gray, fine-grained, well-bedded cherty dolomite; mottled (red and green) dolomite characteristic; interbeds of bluish-gray limestone in upper part; chert-matrix quartz sandstone at base. Erosional unconformity at top. Thickness 350 to 800 feet; and Kingsport Formation - Gray, fine-grained, sparingly cherty dolomite with basal dense, gray limestone sequence. Thickness about 250 feet; Longview Dolomite - Siliceous, gray, fine-grained, medium-bedded dolomite; interbeds of gray limestone in upper part. Thickness about 300 feet; Chepultepec Dolomite - Light-gray, fine-grained, well-bedded dolomite, moderately cherty; fine-grained limestone locally in upper part; quartz sandstone beds at base. Thickness about 800 feet.
Thin bedded to laminated, commonly cross-bedded, metamorphosed; locally includes argillite and calcareous and arkeritic metasiltstone grading to silty metalimestone.
Shale and siltstone, variegated red to brown; interbedded fine-grained sandstone and shaly dolomite.
Feldspathic; interbedded with dark argillaceous layers and laminae. Stratigraphic position uncertain.