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The Caves of Burnsville Cove, Virginia pp 299–334Cite as

The Geology of Burnsville Cove, Bath and Highland Counties, Virginia

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Part of the book series: Cave and Karst Systems of the World ((CAKASYWO))

Abstract

Burnsville Cove is a karst region in Bath and Highland Counties of Virginia. A new geologic map of the area reveals various units of limestone, sandstone, and siliciclastic mudstone (shale) of Silurian through Devonian age, as well as structural features such as northeast-trending anticlines and synclines, minor thrust faults, and prominent joints. Quaternary features include erosional (strath) terraces and accumulations of mud, sand, and gravel. The caves of Burnsville Cove are located within predominantly carbonate strata above the Silurian Williamsport Sandstone and below the Devonian Oriskany Sandstone. Most of the caves are located within the Silurian Tonoloway Limestone, rather than the Silurian-Devonian Keyser Limestone as reported previously.

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks are extended to Gregg S. Clemmer for encouragement with this project. Christopher S. Swezey thanks Nadine M. Piatak for help with initial geological studies in the area, and John T. Haynes thanks Nevin W. Davis and numerous students of James Madison University for help in the field. In addition, John T. Haynes benefitted from a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) EdMap grant for bedrock mapping in the Williamsville Quadrangle (NE quadrant of Fig. 16.2 of this paper). This manuscript was improved by reviews by USGS geologists Nadine M. Piatak and John E. Repetski.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 926A, Reston, VA, 20192, USA

    Christopher S. Swezey

  2. Department of Geology and Environmental Science, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, 22807, USA

    John T. Haynes

  3. PO Box 151, Monterey, VA, 24465, USA

    Richard A. Lambert

  4. 587 Limestone Lane, Williamsville, VA, 24487, USA

    Philip C. Lucas

  5. Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    William B. White

  6. US Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 956, Reston, VA, 20192, USA

    Christopher P. Garrity

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  1. Christopher S. Swezey
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Correspondence to Christopher S. Swezey .

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    William B. White

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Swezey, C.S., Haynes, J.T., Lambert, R.A., White, W.B., Lucas, P.C., Garrity, C.P. (2015). The Geology of Burnsville Cove, Bath and Highland Counties, Virginia. In: White, W. (eds) The Caves of Burnsville Cove, Virginia. Cave and Karst Systems of the World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14391-0_16

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