PHOTO PATTERN DATA ELEMENTS: SHALE
The Appalachian Plateau- The Allegheny Plateau, Kanawha Section, is mature and
intricately dissected by westward-flowing stream; flat uplands are separated by valleys
into plains, mesa-like elements; the upper strata contain coal beds, horizontal outcrops in
valley walls within the flat-lying sedimentary rock formations. (Humid)
Form
Plain, smooth to rolling, irregular.
Drainage
Dendritic with no angular patterns, very little moisture is
absorbed.
Gully Characteristics
Sag and swell type; V-notches in steep slopes.
Special Features
Dendritic drainage pattern.
Color (Photo Gray Tones)
Varies from gray to dark gray.
Land Use
Cultivated field crops, or heavily forested.
Vegetation
Heavily forested on the steep slopes.
Source: Terrain analysis procedural guide for surface configuration, US Army engineer
topographic laboratories, p. 7-83