Virginia Geology

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The Five Provinces

Divided based on geologic formations

Coastal Plain

Runs from the fall line on the west to the Atlantic Ocean on the east ◦It is a flat yet terraced (step like) landscape

Fall Line The Fall Line (black line) separates the Coastal Plain of eastern Virginia (yellow) from the solid bedrock of the Piedmont. Photo Credit: National Park Service Credit: US Geological Survey The Potomac River going over the Fall Line creates Great Falls.

Virginia Fossils Fossils of marine organisms such as clams, scallops, sharks teeth and other hard parts Sand, silt and clay produced by erosion of the Appalachian Mts. covers the plain As sea levels rose and fell, fossils were left at various layers Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic age fossils are found in Virginia

Piedmont It is an area of rolling hills underlain by ancient igneous and metamorphic rock It is the largest province

Mining in the Piedmont High quality slate is mined from this area The Piedmont has one of the world’s largest kyanite mines

Blue Ridge Mountains The billion year old igneous and metamorphic rocks are the oldest in the state It is a high ridge separating the piedmont from the valley and ridge province

Valley and Ridge Province The Valley and Ridge Province is an area of long parallel ridges and valleys with ancient folded sedimentary rock layers underneath

Cambrian fossils of stromatolites (cyanobacteria algal structures) found in the Valley and Ridge.

Limestone outcrops are common in the Valley and Ridge Province

Valley and Ridge Province is also known for it’s karst topography Irregular limestone region with sinks, underground streams, and caverns

Appalachian Plateau

The Appalachian Plateau has rugged, irregular topography and is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks Most of Virginia’s coal is found in the Appalachian Plateau

QUIZ 1. Which province is covered by sand, silt and clay? 2. Which province has Cambrian algal fossils? 3. This province has a terraced landscape.

QUIZ 4. This province contains billion year old rocks. 5. Which province is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks? 6. This province has rolling hills underlain by ancient igneous & metamorphic rocks. 7. What do we call an irregular limestone region with sinkholes and caverns?

QUIZ 8. Which province is at the most western part of the state? (province #5) 9. Which province is the largest? 10. Which province is famous for coal?

QUIZ Answers 1. Which province is covered by sand, silt and clay? 2. Which province has Cambrian algal fossils? 3. This province has a terraced landscape. Coastal Plain Valley and Ridge Coastal Plain

QUIZ Answers 4. This province contains billion year old rocks. 5. Which province is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks? 6. This province has rolling hills underlain by ancient igneous & metamorphic rocks. 7. What do we call an irregular limestone region with sinkholes and caverns? Blue Ridge Appalachian Plateau Piedmont Karst

QUIZ Answers 8. Which province is at the most western part of the state? (province #5) 9. Which province is the largest? 10. Which province is famous for coal? Appalachian Plateau Piedmont Appalachian Plateau