Around Virginia….

To BE or not to BE……an Earth Science teacher. Most earth science teachers have a degree in one type of earth science….geology, oceanography, astronomy….or maybe just another science in general. In Virginia, there is a shortage of Earth Science teachers….so I joined a group of teachers at the Math and Science Center to get my license to become an Earth Science teacher. This is my story…..

To become certified to teach Earth Science, I had to take several classes….astronomy, oceanography, meteorology….but the most important was Geology – both general and Virginia geology. This meant we would have to travel around the state to see examples of how Virginia has changed over the last billion years or so…. And it’s changed….a LOT!

So Let’s GO! In this virtual field trip, you will be ‘visiting’ each physiographic province (a geological term for region) of Virginia. You can go in any order you wish – just click on the links like you would a website and read about each province, as well as see pictures and real-life examples from MY trip around Virginia!

Choose 1 of Virginia’s Regions Appalachian Plateau Coastal Plain PiedmontBlue Ridge Valley and Ridge Or Click on my picture to get an explanation of how Virginia formed!

Virginia’s Geologic History OKAY….this can get complicated….so focus! Let’s go back 1.2 Billion years….there is an ancient ocean separating North America and Africa….BUT ‘suddenly’ (meaning over millions of years) the ocean starts to close as the 2 massive continents start to move together And BAM North America and Africa connect to form a huge supercontinent…over the next 340 million years or so, they slowly separate, leaving a huge proto (old) ocean where limestone deposits (and fossils from the ocean animals that formed the limestone) are left behind Then……

VA Geologic History BAM Africa returns! And this time with FORCE – Africa slams into the eastern part of the United States. The ground crumples up, like an accordion and the Appalachian Mountains, along with our Blue Ridge Mountains, form. Take a look at the satellite pic – see how the ground crumpled up?

VA Geologic History So that’s where our Blue Ridge Mountains came from….AND where our limestone deposits came from (they’re important to the formation of the Valley and Ridge Region). But what about the Piedmont? And the Coastal Plain? Why are THEY the way they are? Click on the license plate to go back to the Virginia Map to find out!

Coastal Plain

Our visit to the Coastal Plain starts with taking a look at the sediments that make it up! It is a terraced landscape, meaning that it has lots of different sedimentary layers Check it out – close up! See the fossils?

But Where Did Those Sediments Come From? Over time, the Appalachian Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains, millions of years old, are weathering and eroding away. The sediments – sand, silt and clay - that make up the Coastal Plain are the remains of those mountains! Along with what has been left over from rising and falling sea levels! This weathered and eroded soil is what makes the Coastal Plain a pretty flat area….good for growing crops!

Fossils! Fossils include various marine organisms like clams, scallops, sharks teeth, and other hard remains – from the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras That’s me! Sea creatures make GREAT fossils!

What do we get from the Coastal Plain? We get sand and gravel from the Coastal Plain…. which is used for paving, making concrete, and glass making Back to the map

Piedmont

Travel to the Piedmont! This is OUR region! It is an area of rolling hills with ancient igneous and metamorphic rock It is the largest of the provinces

Piedmont The Piedmont is the region where the sands of the Coastal Plain meets the metamorphic rock that was created when Africa separated from North America This is my geology class checking out an old shoreline left over from millions of year ago when the Coastal Plain was just starting to form….right across from the Richmond Jail My geology professor is trying to explain to the confused jail guard why we are here…..

Mining the Piedmont  High quality slate is mined from this area  The Piedmont also has one of the world’s largest kyanite mines – used for ceramics and making panels for the space shuttle  Also provides crushed stone that is used for concrete and paving Back to the map Us checking out Kyanite at a mine

Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Ridge Facts The billion year old igneous and metamorphic rocks are the oldest in the state (1.2 billion years old) Formed when Africa first connected to eastern side of North America

Blue Ridge Facts It is a high, thin ridge separating the Piedmont from the Valley and Ridge province – contains the highest mountain in the state – Mt. Rogers near Roanoke This is where the Shen. Nat’l Park is located! Hiking with family in Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge – Evidence of Geological Craziness! These are pictures from Eagle Rock – they carved away at the rock to build a road….and this is what they saw You can see how the rock was literally squished so much that it turned over on itself – you can tell that something BIG had to happen to move all this rock

Valley and Ridge Province

Valley and Ridge The Valley and Ridge Province is an area of long parallel ridges and valleys with ancient folded and faulted sedimentary rocks under them Ridges are sandstone Valleys are limestone Driving through Valley and Ridge province

Limestone outcrops are also common in the Valley and Ridge Province Remember the ancient sea that existed in VA millions of years ago from the geological history of VA? THIS is where all that limestone came from – deposits from ancient shelled organisms

That is why this area is famous for…. KARST topography! Remember….forma tion of caves, sinkholes, etc.

Resources from Valley and Ridge Limestone is mined and used for…. – Construction – Crushed stone – Concrete – Steel making Shale (used in cement) Gypsum (used in insulation and drywall) Natural Gas / Oil (very small amounts)

Appalachian Plateau

Appalachian Plateau Facts The Appalachian Plateau has rugged, irregular topography and has ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks Has some shallow, marine fossils

Appalachian Plateau Facts What dark rock do you see in the background?

Virginia Coal Most of Virginia's coal is found in the Appalachian Plateau It’s the only real fossil fuel found in VA in numerous amounts