50
Virginia Geology
The Five Physiographic
Provinces of Virginia
50
The Five Provinces
Virginia is divided into 5 provinces
based on their geologic formations.
After looking at the first few
slides, how many of the provinces
can you name?
Do you know in which
province we live?
Coastal Plain
Coastal Plain
• Chesapeake Bay:
Coastal Plain
• A flat area underlain
by young
unconsolidated
sediments such as
sand, silt, and clay.
Coastal Plain
• These layers of
sediment were
produced by erosion
of the Appalachian
Mountains and then
deposited on the
Coastal Plain.
Coastal Plain
• Known for fossils
• Fossils include
various marine
organisms like clams,
scallops, sharks
teeth, and other
hard remains
Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont
• An area of rolling
hills underlain by
mostly ancient
igneous and
metamorphic rocks.
Piedmont
• The igneous rocks
are the roots of
ancient volcanoes
formed prior to the
formation of the
Appalachian
Mountains.
• This is the largest
province and the
province we live in.
Piedmont
• Important rock and
minerals include
pegmatites, slate,
kyanite, gold, and
pyrite.
• Known for rock and
mineral mines
Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge
• A high ridge separating the Piedmont from the
Valley & Ridge Provinces.
Blue Ridge
• The billion year old
igneous and
metamorphic rocks
are the oldest in the
state
Blue Ridge
• Metamorphism of
these rocks occurred
during the formation
of the Appalachian
Mountains.
Let’s Review!
• Which province, that has already been
described, is known for having layers of
fossils?
• Which province is the largest?
• Which province has the oldest rocks?
• Which province has slate and kyanite mines?
Valley & Ridge
Valley & Ridge
Valley & Ridge
• An area with long parallel ridges & valleys
underlain by ancient folded & faulted
sedimentary rocks which occurred during a
collision between Africa & North America –
this Paleozoic era collision produced the
Appalachian Mountains.
Valley & Ridge
• Known for karst
landforms such as
caves and sinkholes
formed from
limestone.
Appalachian Plateau
Appalachian Plateau
• The Appalachian Plateau has rugged, irregular
topography and is underlain by ancient, flatlying sedimentary rocks
• This area is actually a series of plateaus
separated by faults.
Appalachian Plateau
• Do you notice any
thing in these layers?
Appalachian Plateau
• This area is known
for the sedimentary
rock coal
Let’s Review
Let’s Review
1. Which province is covered by sand, silt and
clay?
2. This province contains billion year old rocks?
3. Which province is underlain by ancient, flatlying sedimentary rocks?
Let’s Review
4. This province has rolling hills underlain by
ancient rocks.
5. What do we call an irregular limestone region
with sink holes and caverns?
Let’s Review
6. Which province is at the most western part
of the state?
7. Which province is the largest?
8. Which province is famous for coal?