1. November 1, 2011

2. Objective: Agenda: Identify the 5 major regions of Virginia
Landscape Notes
Virginia Map
Virginia Map Analysis
Homework:
Projects due Friday
Test is Friday

3. Landscapes What is a landscape? What is a landform?
A region on Earth’s surface in which various landforms are related by a common origin.
What is a landform?
Hills, valleys, and streams

4. Landscape Regions:
Mountains are high elevations with steep gradients. They have faulted, folded, and tilted rocks.
Plateaus are high elevations with horizontal layers. They usually have a fairly level slope
Plains are level with little change in slope. They have a low elevation with horizontal rock layers.

5. The Five Physiographic Provinces of Virginia
Virginia Geology
The Five Physiographic Provinces of Virginia

6. The Five Provinces

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

8. 1. Coastal Plain ( Tidewater)

9. It is a terraced landscape
The Coastal Plain runs from the fall line on the west, to the Atlantic Ocean on the east
It is a terraced landscape

10. Sand, silt and clay produced by erosion of the Appalachian Mts
Sand, silt and clay produced by erosion of the Appalachian Mts. covers the plain
As sea levels rose and fell, fossils were left at various layers

11. Virginia Fossils
Fossils include various marine organisms like clams, scallops, sharks teeth, and other hard remains

12. Virginia Fossils
Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic fossils are found in Virginia

13. 2. Piedmont

14. Facts about the Va. Piedmont
It is an area of rolling hills underlain by ancient igneous and metamorphic rock
It is the largest of the provinces

15. Mining the Piedmont High quality slate is mined from this area
The Piedmont host one of the worlds largest kyanite mines
( see picture of kyanite )

16. 3. Blue Ridge Mountains

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

18. Blue Ridge Facts
It is a high ridge separating the piedmont from the valley and ridge province

19. 4. Valley and Ridge Province

20. Valley and Ridge
The Valley and Ridge Province is an area of long parallel ridges and valleys underlain by ancient folded and faulted sedimentary rocks

21. Cambrian fossil algal structures are found in the V&R Province

22. Limestone outcrops are common in the Valley and Ridge Province

23. This area is also famous for Karst
What does karst mean?
Karst is an irregular limestone region with sinks, underground streams, and caverns

24. Sink holes!

25. Caverns!

26. 5. Appalachian Plateau

27. Appalachian Plateau Facts
The Appalachian Plateau has rugged, irregular topography and is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks

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

29. COAL!

30. Virginia Coal
Most of Virginia's coal is found in the Appalachian Plateau.

31. Virginia Coal
These old sedimentary rocks contain many fossils and tons of coal.