GEOLOGY OF CHILHOWEE MOUNTAIN, IN TENNESSEE. 85 
formity at the same horizon in other places. The instances 
of this will be discussed later in detail. 
VII. The unconformity being accepted as a fact, at once 
several questions are raised. If the Chilhowee surface be¬ 
neath the limestone is one of erosion, then the Chilhowee 
beds emerged after deposition and were exposed to subaerial 
forces. How extensive was the erosion in duration, depth, 
and area? Was the emergence local or wide-spreading? 
Was the elevation that caused the emergence a simple, con¬ 
tinental one, or elevation combined with folding ? These 
questions can be answered partly from the sections in Mil¬ 
lers cove and partly from study of the Cambrian formations 
in the Tennessee valley. 
(a) The maximum visible removal of Chilhowee beds is 
1,100 feet, and this occurred in two places, sections B and F. 
Of course this is only the actual overlap visible in the Cove 
and would be increased 500 feet b}^ a moderate estimate for 
recent erosion below the Chilliowee-dolomite plane outside 
of the cove. Such a deep erosion represents a considerable 
lapse of time, even under the most rapid degradation. 
b. (1) The question of the geographic extent of Chilhowee 
erosion is not easily answered. In Millers cove a basin was 
excavated twelve miles long and 1,100 feet deep. The sur¬ 
rounding higher land was therefore at least 1,100 feet high 
at the end of erosion. Such an uplift, if of the continental 
type, would have laid bare a very large area. If the uplift 
was combined with folding, then the areas of Chilhowee 
rocks exposed might have been small and the question of 
emergence’ or non-emergence must be determined for each 
area. A priori , an elevation of 1,100 feet would expose a 
considerable area to the air, even if the beds w T ere somewhat 
folded. 
There is evidence favoring both possibilities. In Millers 
cove folds were made before the limestone was deposited, as 
shown in section M. This section is drawn on the assump¬ 
tion that the beds of limestone were deposited in horizontal 
layers. This is probably not far wrong; and even if they 
