Stratigraphic Position of the Walden Creek Group, Ocoee Supergroup

最近在阿巴拉契亚南部蓝脊省的Wilhite组、Walden Creek群、Ocoee Supergroup中发现的化石为Walden Creek群提供了志留纪或更年轻的证据。这一结果表明，后Tatonic后继盆地在蓝脊省从阿拉巴马州延伸到田纳西州中东部，并对现有的阿巴拉契亚山脉南部地球动力学演化模式进行了必要的修正。目前只确定了瓦尔登河群的老年年龄限制，而较年轻的年龄限制仍未确定。这项拟议的研究的目的是获得更多的化石材料，以便准确确定瓦尔登河群岩石的年龄。为此，将进行野外采样和测绘、实验室化石和微化石提取、分类学确定和建立地层生物带。这项研究的意义在于为阿巴拉契亚南部地球动力学演化的新模式提供了后塔肯后继盆地形成的时间限制。

The recent discovery of fossils in the Wilhite Formation, Walden Creek Group, Ocoee Supergroup in the Blue Ridge province of southern Appalachians provided evidence of Silurian or younger age for the Walden Creek Group. This result indicates that post- Tatonic successor basins extended in the Blue Ridge province from Alabama to east-central Tennessee, and makes necessary revision of current models of geodynamic evolution of the southern Appalachians. At present only the older age limit for the Walden CReek Group is established, and the younger age limit remains undetermined. The objective of the proposed research is to obtain more fossil material that would allow a precise determination of the age of the Walden Creek Group rocks. To this end field sampling and mapping, fossil and microfossil extraction in the laboratory, taxonomic determinations and establishment of stratigraphic biozones will be undertaken. The significance of the proposed research lies in providing time constraints on formation of post-Taconic successor basins for new models of geodynamic evolution of the southern Appalachians.