ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS . Ill 



been no happy hunting ground for geologists. It offers no spectacular geology, 

 no economic interests of striking importancer but all the principles of meta- 

 morphism are exemplified within it; variable metamorphism and deep-seated 

 erosion confuse and conceal the stratigraphy. It is only by such elaborate 

 study of wide areas that the geology of the Piedmont can be worked out. 



Dr. Ashley : Some' further idea of the difficulty of the problems may be 

 gained if we recall that Lancaster County, in this field, is reported to be the 

 richest agricultural county in the United States, and Chester County is said 

 to come next. This means a lack of rock outcrops that render satisfactory 

 work almost impossible. 



PROPOSED NEW NOMENCLATURE OF THE APPALACHIAN COAL MEASURES 



BY GEORGE H. ASHLEY 



(Abstract) 



Attention is called in the paper to the conditions existing in the naming of 

 the beds of coal, sandstone, clay, shale, and limestone of the Appalachian 

 "Coal Measures," and of the need of some improved method of naming which 

 will cover the whole region. Recent work is cited and the proposal is made 

 of a system consisting of the principal and most widely accepted "formation"' 

 names, combined with capital letters, to be applied to subdivisions of each 

 formation of approximately 50 feet each. Thus : Allegheny E applies to any 

 rock in "measures" or "member" "E" in the Allegheny formation. This mem- 

 ber covers from the top of the Freeport Lower coal to the top of the Freeport 

 Upper coal. Thus the Butler sandstone becomes the Allegheny E (Butler) 

 sandstone (the old local name always being added in parentheses). The Alma 

 coal of West Virginia becomes Kanawha L (Alma) coal. The Taggart coal 

 of Virginia also becomes Kanawha L (Taggart) coal. 



The paper presents a type section taken from the Pocohontas-New River- 

 Kanawha-Pittsburgh areas, and suggests possible or probable correlations for 

 the better known coals of other parts of the Appalachian coal region. 



Bead in abstract from manuscript. 



Discussed by I. 0. White, David White, and D. F. Higgins, with reply 

 by the author. 



Discussion 



Dr. I. C. White: The new classification scheme of Dr. Ashley is so revolu- 

 tionary that its general adoption will prove very difficult. Old names of coal 

 beds, or those first given and used by the mining fraternity, tend to stick even 

 when the correlation is erroneous ; so that I fear that any new nomenclature 

 will prove just as confusing and difficult of general adoption as that men- 

 tioned by Dr. Ashley in the case of the numbering of the coal beds in Indiana 

 and Illinois, where neither State would change the numerical order of its coal 

 beds to conform in correlation to those of the other State. 



Mr. David White held the view that a classification such as that proposed 

 seemed practicable only on the supposition that the correlations of the beds 

 were final and not susceptible to changes. 



