Research Article| January 01, 2006 Plutonism in three orogenic pulses, Eastern Blue Ridge Province, southern Appalachians Brent V. Miller; Brent V. Miller 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3315, Mitchell Hall, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3315, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Allen H. Fetter; Allen H. Fetter 2Departamento de Petrologia e Metalogenia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida 24A, no. 1515, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kevin G. Stewart Kevin G. Stewart 3Department of Geological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3315, Mitchell Hall, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3315, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Brent V. Miller 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3315, Mitchell Hall, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3315, USA Allen H. Fetter 2Departamento de Petrologia e Metalogenia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida 24A, no. 1515, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil Kevin G. Stewart 3Department of Geological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3315, Mitchell Hall, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3315, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 02 Feb 2004 Revision Received: 16 May 2005 Accepted: 11 Jun 2005 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2006) 118 (1-2): 171–184. https://doi.org/10.1130/B25580.1 Article history Received: 02 Feb 2004 Revision Received: 16 May 2005 Accepted: 11 Jun 2005 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Brent V. Miller, Allen H. Fetter, Kevin G. Stewart; Plutonism in three orogenic pulses, Eastern Blue Ridge Province, southern Appalachians. GSA Bulletin 2006;; 118 (1-2): 171–184. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B25580.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract The Eastern Blue Ridge Province of the southern Appalachians contains, in part, remnants of an Ordovician accretionary wedge complex formed during subduction of an oceanic tract before mid-Ordovician accretion with Laurentia. The Eastern Blue Ridge Province consists of metapelite and amphibolite intruded by low-K plutons, high-temperature (T >750 °C) Ordovician eclogite, and other high-pressure metamafic and meta-ultramafic rocks. Felsic plutons in the Eastern Blue Ridge Province are important time markers for regional-scale tectonics, deformation, and metamorphism. Plutons were thought to be related to either Taconian (Ordovician) or Acadian (Devonian-Silurian) tectonothermal events.We dated five plutonic or metaplutonic rocks to constrain pluton crystallization ages better and thus the timing of tectonism. The Persimmon Creek gneiss yielded a protolith crystallization age of 455.7 ± 2.1 Ma, Chalk Mountain 377.7 ± 2.5 Ma, Mt. Airy 334 ± 3 Ma, Stone Mountain 335.6 ± 1.0 Ma, and Rabun 335.1 ± 2.8 Ma. The latter four plutons were thought to be part of the Acadian “Spruce Pine Suite,” but instead our new ages indicate that Alleghanian (Carboniferous-Permian) plutonism is widespread and voluminous in the Eastern Blue Ridge Province. The Chattahoochee fault, which was considered an Acadian structure, cuts the Rabun pluton and thus must have been active during the Alleghanian orogeny. The new ages indicate that Persimmon Creek crystallized less than 3 m.y. after zircon crystallization in Eastern Blue Ridge eclogite and is nearly synchronous with nearby high-grade metamorphism and migmatization. The three phases of plutonism in the Eastern Blue Ridge Province correspond with established metamorphic ages for each of the three major orogenic pulses along the western flank of the southern Appalachians. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.