Geology of the Radford area, Virginia

The Radford area consists of approximately 190 square miles in the Appalachian Valley portion of Montgomery and Pulaski counties, Virginia. All of it is underlain with sedimentary rocks ranging from Early Cambrian to Early Mississippian in age, and having an aggregate thickness of at least 12,000 feet. These rock units do not represent a complete sedimentary sequence in this part of the Appalachian geosyncline because much of the Radford area is covered by three overthrust sheets which conceal formations that would otherwise be exposed in the area.

The greatest movement along these low-angle thrust faults appears to be that of the Pulaski thrust sheet. It has a horizontal displacement of at least eight miles and a minimum stratigraphic separation of 9000 feet. The Pulaski thrust sheet has been further complicated by three high-angle thrust faults which have contributed to the formation of three “windows” southeast of Redford. Two klippen that are associated with the Blue Ridge thrusts occur in the southeastern corner of the area.