Chuck Bailey

Education

• Ph.D. & M.A., Johns Hopkins University
• B.S., William & Mary

Research Interests

Structural Geology, Tectonics, & Landscape History

I'm a structural geologist whose research focuses on the geometry and tectonic history of deformed rocks from different tectonic settings. I am particularly interested in ductile fault zones and work to elucidate the tectonic history recorded by these important crustal structures.

With William & Mary undergraduates, I’ve studied deformed rocks and structures in the Appalachian Mountains, the low deserts of southern Arizona, the high plateaus of Utah, the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, the Norwegian Arctic, and most recently in Oman examining its vast and well-exposed ophiolite.  Although the Appalachians Mountains have been studied for over two centuries, many key aspects of their history remain unanswered. Our studies in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces are wide-ranging and integrate structural analysis with petrology, sedimentology, geochronology, and geologic mapping.  

Over the past 28 years I’ve advised more than 200 undergraduates on their thesis projects at William & Mary.  Many of these research students go on to become professional geoscientists who as both academic researchers and teachers, at geological surveys, and in private industry.

Follow me on W&M Blogs

Current Projects

• Structural Geometry and Tectonic History of the Virginia Appalachians
• Strain and Vorticity Analysis of Deformed Rocks
• Geology and Landscape History of the High Plateaus, Utah
• Emplacement of the Samail Ophiolite and the Tectonics of northern Oman

Selected Publications (*undergraduate co-author)

Bailey, C. M., 2024. Geoscience at the Confluence. GSA Today, v. 34, p. 12-15 https://doi.org/10.1130/GSATPrsAdrs23.1

Ring, U., Uysal, T., Hansman, R. J., Scharf, A., Bailey, C., Mattern, F., Callegari, Tong, K, and Todd, A., 2024. The comple continental margin of NE Oman: Fault-gouge dating of the Wadi Kabir Fault at the northern margin of the Sait Hatat window, Sultanate of Oman, and its wider implications. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences v. 270, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2024.106197

Scharf, A., Bailey, C. M., Bolhar, R., Mattern, F., Ring, U., 2022. Post-obduction listwaenite genesis in the Oman Mountains inferred from structural analysis and U-Pb carbonate dating. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 595, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117756

Hatcher, R. D., Jr., and Bailey, C.M., 2020, Structural Geology, Oxford University Press, 634 p. Link to Oxford University Press (https://global.oup.com/ushe/product/structural-geology-9780190601928?cc=us&lang=en)

Owens, B.E., Buckwaldt, R., and Bailey, C.M., 2019, New U-Pb Zircon Ages for the Petersburg Batholith, Piedmont Province, Virginia: Southeastern Geology, v. 53, p. 215-230.

Owens, B.E., and Bailey, C.M., 2018, Geology of the Southside Virginia, Piedmont: Virginia Geological Field Conference Guidebook, 38 p.

Bailey, C.M., and Jaye, S., 2017.  From the Blue Ridge to the Beach: Geological Field Excursions across Virginia. Geological Society of America Field Guide 47. 174 p. Link to GSA Bookstore

Bailey, C.M., Spears, A. V., and Marshall, A., 2017. From Laurentia to Iapetus: Traversing the Blue Ridge-Piedmont terrane boundary in central Virginia, in Bailey, C.M., and Jaye, S., 2017, From the Blue Ridge to the Beach: Geological Field Excursions across Virginia. Geological Society of America Field Guide 47. p. 59-76. 

Bailey, C.M., and Coiner, L.V., eds. 2014. Elevating Geoscience in the Southeastern United States: New Ideas about Old Terranes. Geological Society of America Field Guide 35. 284 p. Link to GSA Bookstore

Bailey, C.M., Rosenthal, J.*, and Quinlan, K.* 2014. Geology of the Scottsville Mesozoic basin, Virginia, in Bailey, C.M., and Coiner, L.V., eds., Elevating Geoscience in the Southeastern United States: New Ideas about Old Terranes. Geological Society of America Field Guide 35, p. 234-254.

Johnson, T.A.*, Hollis, J.S.*, Bailey, C.M., Jensen, A.*, Hahn, M.*, Quinlan, K.*, Owens, B.E., and Marshall, A.* 2014. Geologic map of the Alberene quadrangle, Virginia. Virginia Division of Geology and Mineral Resources Publication 180. 1:24,000-scale geologic map and text. Download a copy 

Bailey, C.M., and Owens, B.E. 2012. Traversing suspect terranes in the central Virginia Piedmont: from Proterozoic anorthosites to modern earthquakes, in Eppes, M.C. and Bartholomew, M.J., eds., From the Blue Ridge to the Coastal Plain: Field Excursions in the Southeastern United States. Geological Society of America Field Guide 29. p. 327-344. Link to GSA Bookstore

Bailey, C.M., Wooton, K.M.*, Forte, A.M.*, Hasty, B.A.*, Goldenbaum, L.A.*, and Shirvell, C.R.*  2012. Geologic Map of the Swift Run 7.5’ quadrangle, Virginia. Virginia Division Geology and Mineral Resources Publication 179. 1:24,000-scale geologic map and text. Download a copy 

Marchetti D.W., Harris, M.S., Bailey, C.M., Cerling T.E., Bergman, S.* 2011. Timing of glaciation and last glacial maximum paleoclimate estimates from the Fish Lake Plateau, Utah. Quaternary Reviews, v. 75, p. 183-195.

Southworth, S., Aleinikoff, J. N., Bailey, C. M., Burton, W. C., Tollo, R. P., Crider, E. A., and Denenny, D. M., 2009, Geologic Map of the Shenandoah National Park Region, Virginia. U.S. Geological Survey Report 2009-1153, 96 p., 1 plate at 1:100,000 scale. Download a copy

Bailey, C.M., Polvi, L.E.*, and Forte, A.M.* 2007. Pure shear dominated high-strain zones in basement terranes. Geological Society of America Memoir 200, p. 93-108.

Bailey, C.M., Peters, S.E.*, Morton, J.*, and Shotwell N.L.* 2007. The Mechum River Formation, Virginia Blue Ridge: a record of Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic tectonics in southeastern Laurentia. American Journal of Science, v. 307, p. 1-22. 

Forte, A.M.* and Bailey, C.M. 2007. Testing the utility of the porphyroclast hyperbolic distribution method of kinematic vorticity analysis. Journal of Structural Geology, v. 29, p. 983-1001.

Bailey, C.M., Harris, M.S., and Marchetti, D.W. 2007. Geologic overview of the Fish Lake Plateau, Utah. Utah Geological Association Publication, v. 36, p. 47-56.

Bailey, C.M., Southworth, S., and Tollo, R.P.  2006. Tectonic History of the Blue Ridge, north-central Virginia: in Pazzaglia, F. J., ed, Excursions in Geology and History: Field Trips in the Middle Atlantic States. Geological Society of America Field Guide 8, p. 113-134.

Bailey, C. M., Francis, B. E., and Fahrney, E. E. 2004. Strain and vorticity analysis of transpressional high-strain zones from the Virginia Piedmont, USA in Flow Processes in Faults and Shear Zones. Geological Society of London Special Publication 224, p. 249-264.

Bailey, C.M. and Eyster, E.L.* 2003. General shear deformation in the Pinaleno Mountains metamorphic core complex, Arizona. Journal of Structural Geology, v. 25, p. 1883-1892. 

Davidson, C., Davis, K.J.*, Bailey, C.M., Tape C.H.*, Singleton, J.*, and Singer, B. 2003. Age, origin, and significance of brittle faulting and pseudotachylyte along the Coast shear zone, Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Geology, v. 31, p. 39-42.

Bailey, C.M., Giorgis S.*, and Coiner L.V.* 2002. Tectonic inversion and basement buttressing: an example from the central Appalachian, Blue Ridge province. Journal of Structural Geology, v. 24, p. 925-936.

Berquist, C.R. Jr., and Bailey, C.M. 1999. Late Cenozoic reverse faulting in the Fall Zone, southeastern Virginia. Journal of Geology, v. 107, p. 727-732.

Bailey, C.M. and Peters, S.E.* 1998. Glaciogenic sedimentation in the Late Neoproterozoic Mechum River Formation, Virginia. Geology, v. 27, p. 623-626.

Courses

100: Weather, Climate, & Change (Syllabus 2018)

110: Physical Geography: Earth's Environmental Systems (Syllabus 2018)

307: Planetary Geology (Syllabus 2018)

310: Regional Field Geology

311: Field Methods for the Earth and Environmental Scientist (Syllabus 2017)

323: Earth Structure & Dynamics (Syllabus 2018)

404: Introduction to Geologic Research

425: Structural Geology Seminar (Syllabus 2016)