1. The Five Physiographic Provinces of Virginia50
Virginia Geology
The Five Physiographic Provinces of Virginia

2. 50
The Five Provinces

3. Virginia is divided into 5 provinces based on their geologic formations.

4. Do you know in which province we live?
After looking at the first few slides, how many of the provinces can you name?
Do you know in which province we live?

6. Coastal Plain

7. Coastal Plain
Chesapeake Bay:

8. Coastal Plain
A flat area underlain by young unconsolidated sediments such as sand, silt, and clay.

9. Coastal Plain
These layers of sediment were produced by erosion of the Appalachian Mountains and then deposited on the Coastal Plain.

10. Coastal Plain Known for fossils
Fossils include various marine organisms like clams, scallops, sharks teeth, and other hard remains

11. Piedmont

12. Piedmont

13. Piedmont
An area of rolling hills underlain by mostly ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks.

14. 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.

15. Piedmont
Important rock and minerals include pegmatites, slate, kyanite, gold, and pyrite.
Known for rock and mineral mines

17. Blue Ridge

18. Blue Ridge
A high ridge separating the Piedmont from the Valley & Ridge Provinces.

19. Blue Ridge
The billion year old igneous and metamorphic rocks are the oldest in the state

20. Blue Ridge
Metamorphism of these rocks occurred during the formation of the Appalachian Mountains.

21. 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?

23. Valley & Ridge

24. Valley & Ridge

25. 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.

26. Valley & Ridge
Known for karst landforms such as caves and sinkholes formed from limestone.

28. Appalachian Plateau

29. Appalachian Plateau
The Appalachian Plateau has rugged, irregular topography and is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks
This area is actually a series of plateaus separated by faults.

30. Appalachian Plateau
Do you notice any thing in these layers?

31. Appalachian Plateau
This area is known for the sedimentary rock coal

32. Let’s Review

33. Let’s Review Which province is covered by sand, silt and clay?
This province contains billion year old rocks?
Which province is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks?

34. Let’s Review
This province has rolling hills underlain by ancient rocks.
What do we call an irregular limestone region with sink holes and caverns?

35. Let’s Review Which province is at the most western part of the state?
Which province is the largest?
Which province is famous for coal?