Fig. 1. Geology of Gates County in relation to the rest of the 

 Coastal Plain: simplified surficial stratigraphy and geomorphology 

 from high-elevation remnants in western Wake County to the coast. 

 Elevations are for toes of scarps. Vertical exaggeration 600X 

 (subsurface formations and lateral distances variable in scale) . 

 Compiled from Oaks and Coch (1963), Oaks and DuBar (1974), Oaks and 

 Whithead (1979), Daniels et al. (1966, 1971, 1972, 1978). Bellis 

 et al. (1975), Vail and Hardenbol (1979) and Parker (1979). The 

 Hazelton Scarp is a local feature, perhaps analogous to the 

 Walterboro Scarp elsewhere, and identified at present only in 

 Suffolk, Virginia and Gates County. 



surveyed for this report, is a tentative interpretation based upon 

 the references given in figure 1, field work for this study, the 1929 

 soil map for Gates County, and the work of Whitehead (1972). This 

 interpretation relies most heavily upon the detailed work of Oaks and 

 DuBar (1974) in adjacent Virginia and the northeastern corner of Gates 

 County. A conclusive understanding of the geology of the area will 

 have to await further comprehensive field studies at some future date. 



The county is quite young geologically. The oldest part is repre- 

 sented by the high, rolling land from Gates and Willeyton north to the 

 Virginia line. This area comprises a semicircular plateau above the 

 Hazelton Scarp. Even so, this portion of the Wicomico Terrace has only 

 been exposed since sometime in the mid to late Pleistocene, about 



