Virginia Geology
SOL 8
Fundamental Concepts and Skills
1.
Virginia has a billion-year long tectonic and geologic history with
five physiographic provinces produced by past tectonic and geologic
activity. Each province has unique physical characteristics resulting from
its geologic past.
Links:
o http://web.wm.edu/geology/virginia/index.html
o http://www.mme.state.va.us/dmr/DOCS/Geol/vageo.html
2. The five physiographic provinces are:
o Coastal Plain
o Piedmont
o Blue Ridge
o Valley and Ridge
o Appalachian Plateau
3. The Coastal Plain is a flat area underlain by young, unconsolidated
sediments. These layers of sediment were produced by erosion of the
Appalachian Mountains and then deposited on the Coastal Plain.
4. The Piedmont is an area of rolling hills underlain by mostly ancient
igneous and metamorphic rocks.
o The igneous rocks are the roots of volcanoes formed during an
ancient episode of subduction that occurred before the formation of
the Appalachian Mountains.
o Burke is in the Piedmont province.
5. The Blue Ridge is a high ridge separating the Piedmont from the Valley
and Ridge Province.
o The billion-year old igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Blue
Ridge are the oldest in the state.
o Some metamorphism of these rocks occurred during the formation
of the Appalachian Mountains.
6. The Valley and Ridge province is an area with long parallel ridges and
valleys underlain by ancient folded and faulted sedimentary rocks.
o The folding and faulting of the sedimentary rocks occurred during a
collision between Africa and North America.
o The collision, which occurred in the late Paleozoic, produced the
Appalachian Mountains.
o Where limestone is abundant in the Valley and Ridge province of
Virginia, karst topography is common. (SOL 9)
Reading
See web sites.
7. The Appalachian Plateau has rugged irregular topography and is
underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks.
o The area is actually a series of plateaus separated by faults.
o Most of Virginia’s coal resources are found in the plateau
province.
8. Major Virginia rock and mineral resources include coal for energy,
gravel and crushed stone for road construction, and limestone for
making concrete. Virginia also has newly discovered deposits of titanium.
(SOL 7)
Skills: Be able to:
Label a map of the physiographic provinces of Virginia.