ABSTRACT

Sandstone beds are more abundant than previously realized in both the Dowelltown (lower) member and the Gassaway (upper) member of the Chattanooga shale of the Eastern Highland Rim of Tennessee. Such beds increase in number and thickness from Dekalb County to the north and west toward Macon County.

A sandstone or conglomerate bed, normally present at the base of the Chattanooga shale, has been generally recognized by writers in the past. However, additional occurrences of sandstones are relatively common throughout the Dowelltown member, and many exposures contain several such beds.

A persistent sandstone bed occurs at the base of the Gassaway member of the Chattanooga over most of the Eastern and Northern Highland Rim. This bed, called the Bransford sandstone by Campbell (1946), is a useful stratigraphic marker in separating the Chattanooga into its two members.

A series of thinly laminated siltstones occur in the Gassaway member throughout the area studied. However, only a few occurrences of sandstone are known in the upper Chattanooga.

The present study suggests that these sands were deposited by relatively agitated water at shallow depths and are not lag concentrates.

This report is preliminary, and suggestions for further study are submitted.