Database for the preliminary geologic map of the Sparta East, Sparta West, and parts of the Glade Valley and Whitehead 7.5-minute quadrangles, North Carolina and Virginia, and the epicentral area of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina

New bedrock and surficial geologic mapping in the Sparta East, Sparta West, and parts of the Glade Valley and Whitehead 7.5-minute quadrangles, North Carolina and Virginia, investigates the geologic framework and causative mechanisms of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina. The mapping documents (1) the coseismic surface rupture from the 2020 earthquake and related brittle structures in the bedrock; (2) the fault contact between the western Blue Ridge and eastern Blue Ridge; (3) lithostratigraphy in the Lynchburg Group, Ashe Metamorphic Suite, and Alligator Back Metamorphic Suite; (4) the nature of the contact between the Lynchburg Group, Ashe Metamorphic Suite, and Alligator Back Metamorphic Suite; and (5) surficial deposits.
The preliminary geologic map database of the Sparta East and West quadrangles and parts of the Glade Valley and Whitehead 7.5-minute quadrangles of Virginia and North Carolina is intended to serve as a foundation for applying geologic information to problems involving land use decisions, groundwater availability and quality, earth resources such as natural aggregate for construction, assessment of natural hazards (earthquakes), and engineering and environmental studies for waste disposal sites and construction projects. The database and associated geologic map improve the understanding of the bedrock geology in the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge geologic provinces, and establishes a modern framework for 1:24,000-scale bedrock geologic mapping in Virginia and North Carolina.