Application of plate tectonics to the location of new mineral targets in the Appalachians. Semiannual progress report no. 2

The report discusses the application of plate tectonics to the location of new mineral targets in the Appalachians. These results provide a new structural-geological framework for a metallogenic study by: recognizing a block structure of a broad territory extending westward from the Appalachian folded belt; finding a relationship between the curvature of the Appalachian folded belt and the boundaries of blocks of the Precambrian basement; and postulating the presence of three major lineaments, extending east-westerly along southern and northern boundaries of major basins and uplifts, which are supposed to reflect major fracture zones of the Precambrian basement. The spacing between the east-west lineaments was of the same order of magnitude as spacing between the transfer faults which displace the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge. This may represent relics of basement fractures of the plates that moved away from the rift zone. These findings have led to a study of the distribution and occurrence of deposits of the individual metals superimposed on the new structural base. The distribution of epigenetic uranium is presented in Part A. Part B includes two manuscripts describing work completed in remote sensing studies