VIRGINIA GEOLOGY COMPUTER LAB
EARTH SCIENCE
OBJECTIVES:
 LABEL THE MAP WITH THE 5 PROVINCES
 LIST THE MAJOR ROCK AND SEDIMENT FORMATIONS
OF EACH PROVINCE
 DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF EACH
PROVINCE
 LIST THE MAJOR RESOURCES OF VIRGINIA AND WHERE
THEY ARE FOUND
FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BELOW:
GO TO www.wm.edu/geology/virginia
LABEL THE VIRGINIA MAP (ATTACHED) WITH THE CORRECT
PROVINCE NAMES (PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF VIRGINIA).\
Be sure to include the Fall Line/Zone on your map.
AFTER YOU HAVE LABELED YOUR MAP, CLICK ON THE
SECTION FOR COASTAL PLAIN (IN YELLOW). ANSWER THE
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
LOCATE THE WORDS “FALL ZONE”.
1. WHAT DOES THE “FALL ZONE” LOOK LIKE TODAY?
2. WHERE IS THE FALL ZONE LOCATED? (BETWEEN WHICH
TWO PROVINCES?)
3. THE CHESAPEAKE BAY IS THE YOUNGEST VIRGINIA
FORMATION. HOW MANY YEARS AGO WAS THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY CREATED?
4. HOW WAS THE BAY CREATED?
5. LIST THE TYPES OF SEDIMENTS FOUND IN THE COASTAL
PLAIN.
6. WHAT EVENT INTERRUPTED THE DEPOSITION OF
SEDIMENTS?
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, CLICK ON PIEDMONT. ONCE
YOU ARE THERE, GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND
CLICK ON SIMPLIFIED FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, (
CALLED SIMPLIFIED FROM THIS POINT FORWARD IN THIS
LAB).
7. THE PIEDMONT PROVINCE IS THE ____________ OF ALL OF
THE VIRGINIA PROVINCES.
8. WHAT TYPE OF BEDROCK MAKES UP THE PIEDMONT
PROVINCE?
9. WAS THIS AREA EVER VOLCANIC?
10. WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC RESOURCE OF THE PIEDMONT?
GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ON BLUE
RIDGE. GO TO SIMPLIFIED AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS.
11. ROCKS ON THE BLUE RIDGE ARE THE OLDEST, HOW OLD
ARE THEY?
12. ____________________ AND _____________________ COLLIDED
TO MOVE ROCKS NW ALONG A FAULT LINE.
13. LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE ARE CARBONATES FORMED
FROM:
14. WHAT IS GREENSTONE?
15. WHAT IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN VIRGINIA AND ITS
ELEVATION?
GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ON THE
VALLEY RIDGE PROVINCE. GO TO SIMPLIFIED AND ANSWER
THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
16. WHY IS THIS PROVINCE CALLED THE VALLEY RIDGE?
17. WHY IS IT CALLED THE “GREAT AMERICAN CARBONATE
RIDGE”?
18. THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY IS KNOWN AS THE
_________________________ VALLEY.
19. THIS PROVINCE IS KNOWN FOR KARST BECAUSE OF
CAVES AND SINKHOLES PRESENT IN THE LIMESTONE. CLICK
ON THE WORD SINKHOLE AND DRAW THE SYMBOL FOR A
SINKHOLE ON A TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP (YOU MAY CUT AND
PASTE THE SYMBOL FROM THE WEBSITE).
USE THE BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS PAGE
AND CLICK ON APPALACHIAN PLATEAU. GO TO SIMPLIFIED
AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
20. DESCRIBE THE TERRAIN (WHAT THE LAND LOOKS LIKE)
OF THE APPALACHIAN PLATEAU.
21. LIST THE THREE MAJOR MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE
APPALACHIAN PLATEAU.
CLICK ON THE GEOLOGIC ROCK CYCLE AND ANSWER THE
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
22. LIST THE PROVINCES THAT ARE COMPOSED ON
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS (THERE ARE 3).
23. WHICH PROVINCE IS COMPOSED ON IGNEOUS ROCK?
24. WHICH ONE IS COMPOSED OF METAMORPHIC ROCK?
GO BACK TO THE HOME PAGE AND CLICK ON RIVERS AND
WATERSHEDS.
25. WHICH DIRECTION DO MOST VIRGINIA RIVERS FLOW?
26. WHAT AREA SEPARATES THE PIEDMONT FROM THE
COASTAL PLAIN?
27. CLICK ON THE POTOMAC AND SHENANDOAH SYSTEM.
LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND LOCATE THE 4TH PICTURE
FROM THE TOP, NORTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH, WHAT
STAGE IS THIS RIVER? (YOUNG, MATURE OR OLD?)
28. WHICH PROVINCE IS LOUDOUN COUNTY LOCATED?
29. NAME TWO MAJOR CITIES FOR EACH OF THE 5
PROVINCES.