EAST TENNESSEE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

September 2025 Virtual Meeting

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Monday, September 8, 2025
6:00 - 7:30 pm

Note: ETGS members will receive an email with info for logging into the meeting.
 

September Presentation

Current mapping status of the Tennessee Geological Survey and an example of an USGS EDMAP project in the Gulf Coastal Plain of West Tennessee


By

William Jackson and Kathrine Parsons
(Tennessee Geological Survey)


Abstract

Each year the Tennessee Geological Survey undertakes 1:24,000-scale mapping projects throughout the state. In East Tennessee mapping efforts focus on the southern Appalachian Valley and Ridge province and consist of documenting structure-stratigraphic architecture of the Alleghanian orogeny and overall Appalachian Mountain Belt. In Middle Tennessee mapping efforts focus on the Cumberland Plateau and consist of documenting the stratigraphic architecture of Paleozoic units and the mature geomorphic landscapes. In West Tennessee mapping efforts focus on Gulf Coastal Plain and consist of a combination of mapping and drilling methods to investigate Eocene siliclastic units that represent the primary aquifer system (Memphis Aquifer) for the Mid-South region. We will summarize recent mapping projects and successes regarding these efforts.

The Tennessee Geological Survey has partnered with the University of Memphis over the past 3 years on a USGS EDMAP project to map quadrangles containing Cretaceous strata in West Tennessee. Kathrine Parsons will provide an overview of the geology of the Enville 7.5-minute quadrangle and the experience of conducting an EDMAP project.
 

Biography
 

William Jackson: I am a geologist with a focus on tectonic processes and field science. My research involves the integration of sedimentology, stratigraphy, and structural geology with geochronology and thermochronology to understand sediment provenance and the relationships between deformation and deposition. I also have an interest in understanding the accumulation of heavy mineral sand deposits through space and time. Current projects focus on Cretaceous through Eocene strata in the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain and Paleozoic rocks in the southern Appalachian Valley and Ridge. I received a PhD in Geosciences from the University of Alabama in 2017, a MS in Earth Sciences from the University of Memphis in 2012, and a BS in Geology from the University of Alabama in 2009. I joined the Tennessee Geological Survey in May 2024 as State Geologist and prior to that spent 8 years in academia and about 3 years as a field mapper for the Geological Survey of Alabama.

Kathrine Parsons: I am a geologist and current master's student at the University of Memphis with a focus on Cretaceous stratigraphy and paleontology. I was the primary student mapper during the 2023-2024 1:24,000-scale mapping of the Enville in 7.5-minute quadrangle in West Tennessee, funded through a USGS EDMAP grant. My research investigates the stratigraphy (litho-, chemo-, and bio-) and spatial distributions of the Upper Cretaceous Demopolis, Coon Creek, and McNairy Sand formations. I received a BS in Geology from Middle Tennessee State University in 2022 and expect to receive my MS in Earth Sciences in December 2025. During the 2024-2025 academic year I worked as an intern at the Memphis Museum of Science and History, and from 2018-2023 I was a museum technician at the Earth Experience Museum in Nashville.

 

 

Greetings, and welcome to the September 8, 2025 ETGS hybrid meeting.
 

This meeting will be attended via Zoom and as a courtesy please mute your cell phone or the microphone in your laptop/tablet to minimize background noise and feedback echos. We will also make an effort to mute all participants - at least until the presentation is finished. Please use the chat feature to type any comments or questions you may have. We recommend that you send questions for the speaker to "everyone" so all participants can see the question. In the interest of time, we may hold the Q&A at the end of the presentation.

We will create a virtual attendance list. It is not always possible to tell who is participating on-line, especially for those joining by phone, so please email etgs@live.com to be listed on the attendance sheet. Let us know exactly how your name should appear on the list. We will add a note explaining the lack of signatures due to remote participation and have an ETGS officer sign as usual.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue with this online format. As always, we welcome and appreciate your feedback and suggestions for improvement.

 

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President
Tony McClain

Vice President
David Carlone

Secretary
J. Brad Stephenson

Treasurer
Seaira Stephenson

Webmaster/Social Media Coordinator
Bob Gelinas

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Page updated August 24, 2025