The Weverton Formation is a quartzite

geologic formation A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics ( lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock exp ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. It is considered the basal member of the Chilhowee Group. The Weverton Formation dates back to the

Cambrian The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...

period.

Description

The Weverton Formation is composed of three members: the Buzzard Knob Member, Maryland Heights Member, and Owens Creek Member. The Buzzard Knob member is a coarse-grained

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...

with pervasive cross-beds. The Maryland Heights member consists of metamorphosed

siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility. Although its permeabil ...

, coarse-grained metamorphosed

greywacke Greywacke or graywacke ( ) is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness (6–7 on Mohs scale), dark color, and Sorting (sediment), poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or sand-size Lith ...

, and quartzite. The Owens Creek Member is a coarse-grained to conglomeratic metamorphosed greywacke. The formation was deposited in an alluvial environment. The Weverton Formation is considered the main ridge forming unit in the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

of Maryland.

History

The Weverton Formation is sometimes incorrectly spelled Weaverton and has been called the Weverton Sandstone or the Weverton Quartzite. It was divided into three members originally called the lower, middle, and upper member. These members were informally called the Loft Mountain Member, the Oregon Hollow Member, and the Dismal Hollow Member before receiving their formal names in 1992.

References

Generalized Stratigraphic Chart for West Virginia
Cambrian West Virginia Quartzite formations Sandstone formations of the United States Shale formations of the United States Siltstone formations of the United States {{WestVirginia-geologic-formation-stub