Regional stratigraphic study of the Nolichucky Shale (Upper Cambrian) northwest of the Saltville thrust fault in the Oak Ridge-Knoxville area, Tennessee, delineated the areal extent of a large lobate algal stromatolite bank. Because the bank has limited geographic distribution, it was possible to identify its edge from northwest to southeast, in the Pine Mountain, Wallen Valley, Clinchport, and Copper Creek fault belts. These thrust faults strike at an oblique angle to the original trend of the algal bank, so that from northwest to southeast different parts of the bank are juxtaposed. Facies changes within the bank sequence permit palinspastic restoration of the original bank that indicates the total movement of the Pine Mountain, Wallen Valley, Clinchport, and Copper Cre k thrust faults is about 40 mi (64 km). Although these data are limited to the west half of the Valley and Ridge, continuing study toward the south and east may lead to an estimation of total shortening across the entire Valley and Ridge province.

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