The Five Physiographic Provinces of Virginia

The Five Provinces

Virginia is divided into 5 provinces based on their geologic formations.

Coastal Plain

from the fall line (outside Richmond) on the west to the Atlantic Ocean on the east It is a terraced landscape of sedimentary rock Sand, silt and clay produced by erosion of the Appalachian Mts. covers the plain

Virginia Fossils Fossils include various marine organisms like clams, scallops, sharks teeth and other hard remains

Piedmont

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

Mining the Piedmont High quality slate is mined from this area The Piedmont hosts one of the worlds 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

Ready for a quick review? 1.Which province is known for having layers of fossils? 2.Which province is the largest? 3.Which province has the oldest rocks? 4.Which province has slate and kyanite mines?

Let’s see how you did! 1. Coastal Plain 2. Piedmont 3. Blue Ridge 4. Piedmont

Valley and Ridge Province

The Valley and Ridge Province is an area of long parallel ridges and valleys underlain by ancient folded and faulted sedimentary rocks

Cambrian fossil algal structures are found in the V&R Province

Limestone outcrops are common in the Valley and Ridge Province

This area is also famous for Karst Karst is an irregular limestone region with sinks, underground streams, and caverns

Sink holes & Caves

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. Fossils are also found within the layers

1.Which province is covered by sand, silt and clay? 2.Which province has Cambrian algal fossils? 3. This province has a terraced landscape. 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 rocks. 7. What do we call an irregular limestone region with sink holes and caverns? 8. Which province is at the most western part of the state 9. Which province is the largest? 10.Which province is famous for coal?

The Answers 1. Coastal Plain 2. Valley and Ridge 3. Coastal Plain 4. Blue Ridge 5. Appalachian Plateau 6. Piedmont 7.Karst 8. Appalachian Plateau 9. Piedmont 10. Appalachian Plateau