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Geology of Virginia

Directions: Use the website listed below to learn about the Provinces of

Virginia.



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PROVINCES OF VIRGINIA – LABEL THE PROVINCES ON THE MAP BELOW.

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Important Note: Once you click on a province page, be sure to scroll down to the bottom and select SIMPLIFIED F0R TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.

APPALACHIAN PLATEAU

1. Where is the Appalachian Plateau located?

2. What happens to the folds of rocks of the Valley and Ridge when you reach the Allegheny Front (the boundary between the Appalachian Plateau and the Valley and Ridge)?

3. Although portions of the Plateau are flat, or plateau-like, other areas are not. Describe the topography of the Appalachian Plateau.

4. What type of faults made the huge folds in the Plateau?

5. How old are the upper layers of the Plateau?

6. What mineral resources come from the Plateau?

To continue, click VALLEY & RIDGE. Be sure to select Simplified for Teachers and Students.

VALLEY AND RIDGE

7. How did the Valley and Ridge get its name?

8. How did the Valley and Ridge form?

9. What evidence do we find that Virginia was once covered by water?

10. What is the Great American Carbonate Bank?

11. What is the Great Valley more popularly called in central and northern Virginia?

12. When did Africa “run into” North America?

13. What was the result of this collision?

To continue, click BLUE RIDGE. Be sure to select Simplified for Teachers and Students.

BLUE RIDGE

14. What types of rock are found in the Blue Ridge and how old are these rocks?

15. Why would the rocks on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge be younger? (hint: think about what is happening to the Appalachian Mountains)

16. What was forming 750 –700 million years ago?

17. What formed when Africa and North America pulled apart?

18. What is greenstone?

19. How high are the Blue Ridge Mountains?

To continue, click PIEDMONT. Be sure to select Simplified for Teachers and Students.

PIEDMONT

20. How does the size of the Piedmont compare to the other Virginia provinces?

21. Click on the words Fall Zone in the first paragraph. Why is the Fall Zone called the Fall Zone?

22. Describe the topography of the Piedmont?

23. What happens to the topography of the Piedmont as you move toward the Blue Ridge?

24. The igneous rocks in the Piedmont are evidence of ancient what?

25. What is believed to be the origin of the Cambrian-Ordovician igneous rocks found on the eastern edge of the Piedmont?

26. What economically valuable resource comes from this province?

To continue, click COASTAL PLAIN. There is no Simplified version of this page.

COASTAL PLAIN

27. What major rivers cross the Coastal Plain on their way to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean?

28. Describe the topography of the Coastal Plain.

29. What formed the risers and treads in this province?

30. What is the age of the current coastline (the younger, terrace treads)?

31. How much additional continent was exposed during the glacial maxima?

32. In geologic terms, is the Chesapeake Bay young or old? How old is it?

33. What is the age of the bedrock on which sediments rest in the Coastal Plain?

34. Jurassic and Cretaceous clay sand and gravel rest on the bedrock. Where did these sediments come from?

35. Marine sediments were deposited over repeated transgressions. Define transgressions. (hint: go to the bottom of the page for definitions of bold terms)

36. What interrupted these transgressions? When and where did this occur?

To continue, click the The Geology of Virginia logo at the bottom of the screen. This will take you back to the homepage.

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Click Rock Cycle on the left side of the screen.

ROCK CYCLE

37. List the provinces that are composed of sedimentary rocks. (3 of them)

38. List the provinces that are composed of igneous rocks. (1 of them)

39. List the provinces that are composed of metamorphic rocks. (1 of them)

To continue, return to the homepage once again. Click on Rivers and Watersheds on the right side of the screen.

RIVERS AND WATERSHEDS

40. In what direction do most Virginia rivers flow?

41. Why do streams and rivers drop swiftly as they cross the Fall Zone between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain?

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To get started, click here on the Appalachian Plateau.

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