Research Article| July 01, 2017 Stratigraphy and structure of the Eocene Memphis Sand above the eastern margin of the Reelfoot rift in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, USA Richard V. Martin; Richard V. Martin † 1Consulting Geologist, Hoover, Alabama, USA †docrvmartin@gmail.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Roy B. Van Arsdale Roy B. Van Arsdale 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Richard V. Martin † 1Consulting Geologist, Hoover, Alabama, USA Roy B. Van Arsdale 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, USA †docrvmartin@gmail.com Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 06 Oct 2015 Revision Received: 29 Nov 2016 Accepted: 13 Jan 2017 First Online: 06 Jul 2017 Online Issn: 1943-2674 Print Issn: 0016-7606 © 2017 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2017) 129 (7-8): 970–996. https://doi.org/10.1130/B31439.1 Article history Received: 06 Oct 2015 Revision Received: 29 Nov 2016 Accepted: 13 Jan 2017 First Online: 06 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Richard V. Martin, Roy B. Van Arsdale; Stratigraphy and structure of the Eocene Memphis Sand above the eastern margin of the Reelfoot rift in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, USA. GSA Bulletin 2017;; 129 (7-8): 970–996. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B31439.1 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 In total, 1249 geophysical well logs were interpreted to map the stratigraphy and structure of the Eocene Memphis Sand in west Tennessee, northwest Mississippi, and Crittenden County, Arkansas, where it overlies the southeastern margin of the Reelfoot rift. The Memphis Sand is a 300-m-thick reworked fluvial sand deposited on a low-relief subsiding plain with limited accommodation space. The Memphis Sand has experienced syn- and postdepositional faulting of four types in the region. (1) West-trending grabens were active during Eocene Claiborne deposition. These grabens also appear to control modern drainage and thus may extend to the surface. (2) The ∼N33°E Shelby faults pass through Shelby County, Tennessee, into northwest Mississippi and extend to or near the surface. They were right-lateral normal faults during Eocene Memphis Sand deposition, but they became inverted reverse faults in the late Eocene. (3) The ∼N67°E-striking Gibson faults are high-angle normal and reverse faults with a component of right-lateral strike slip. These faults were active during Memphis Sand through lower Cockfield deposition north of the Hatchie graben and appear to be due to faulting above an outboard fault of the Reelfoot rift. (4) The ∼N43°E-striking Lauderdale faults are high-angle normal and reverse faults that reflect right-lateral strike-slip reactivation of the southeastern margin of the Reelfoot rift.The structure and stratigraphy revealed in this mapping indicate that the geology of the Memphis Sand is more complex than previously recognized. Faulting of the Memphis Sand and overlying sediments reveals potentially seismogenic faults in western Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northwestern Mississippi. This study provides fundamental data for future groundwater modeling and seismic hazard analysis. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.