The Oak Ridge area is underlain by nine Paleozoic sedimentary formations or groups ranging in age from Early Cambrian to Early Mississippian. These units consist mostly of dolomite, limestone, and shale. The Conasauga Group, the Knox Group, and the Chickamauga Limestone can be further subdivided. The Oak Ridge reservation is crossed by two major thrust faults, the Copper Creek fault in the southeastern part of the area and the Whiteoak Mountain fault in the northwestern part. The strata and the fault zones dip primarily to the southeast. The Whiteoak Mountain fault in the Oak Ridge area exhibits several subsidiary features, including branch faults, a syncline northwest of the fault, and two slices of dolomite of the Knox Group. (auth)