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