Central and Southern Appalachian Geomorphology. Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia: Maryville, Tennessee to Washington, D.C. July 2–9, 1989

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Field Trip Guidebooks Series, Volume 150.

The geomorphology of the Central and Southern Appalachians has been the subject of several prior excursions. Johnson et al. (1933) led a group from New York through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and eastern most West Virginia to the 16th International Geological Congress in Washington, DC. Butts et al. (1933) discussed some aspects of Appalachian geomorphology during their excursion from Washington to Morristown, Tennessee and return. More recently, Ciolkosz et al. (1971) led a geomorphology and soils trip from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Washington. Kite and Linton (1987) et al., organized field excursions for the first meeting of the Southeastern Friends of the Pleistocene in eastern West Virginia. Bogucki et al. (1973) led a trip through Great Smoky Mountains National Park; part of this route will be re-traversed on day one of this excursion. Delcourt and Delcourt (1985) also conducted a trip from Knoxville through the Great Smoky Mountains and in addition visited the terraces of the Little Tennessee River. Since the 16th IGC, the focus of Appalachian geomorphic research has shifted from speculation on overall drainage evolution and description and correlation of presumed erosion surfaces to quantitative description, process-oriented studies based on equilibrium concepts, and applied research. Interest remains high, however, in research that would help explain the origins of topography and drainage in this classic region.