Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Late Tertiary Tectonic Uplift In The Southern And Central Appalachians, Mary Sheela Biswal

Masters Theses

The exposed Appalachian Mountains extend about 2500 km from Newfoundland to Alabama with the highest peaks >2000 m above sea level. The last orogeny that affected Appalachian crust was the 325-260 Ma Alleghanian. Even with minimal erosion rates, it is highly unlikely that the Appalachians could have sustained such elevations for over 200 m.y., suggesting that recent tectonic uplift has produced today’s mountainous topography. The multiple phases of Tertiary uplift are related to poorly understood processes, but a large amount of data from today’s mountain chain and the adjacent Coastal Plain indicate the present high topography is anomalous and clearly …