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November 1, 2011. Objective: Identify the 5 major regions of Virginia . Agenda: Landscape Notes Virginia Map Virginia Map Analysis Homework: Projects due Friday Test is Friday. Landscapes. What is a landscape?
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Objective: • Identify the 5 major regions of Virginia • Agenda: • Landscape Notes • Virginia Map • Virginia Map Analysis • Homework: • Projects due Friday • Test is Friday
Landscapes • What is a landscape? • A region on Earth’s surface in which various landforms are related by a common origin. • What is a landform? • Hills, valleys, and streams
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.
Virginia Geology The Five Physiographic Provinces of Virginia
Virginia is divided into 5 provinces based on their geologic formations.
The Coastal Plain runs from the fall line on the west, to the Atlantic Ocean on the east • It is a terraced landscape
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
Virginia Fossils • Fossils include various marine organisms like clams, scallops, sharks teeth, and other hard remains
Virginia Fossils • Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic fossils are found in Virginia
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
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 )
Blue Ridge Facts • The billion year old igneous and metamorphic rocks are the oldest in the state
Blue Ridge Facts • It is a high ridge separating the piedmont from the valley and ridge province
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
Cambrian fossil algal structures are found in the V&R Province
Limestone outcrops are common in the Valley and Ridge Province
This area is also famous for Karst • What does karstmean? • Karst is an irregular limestone region with sinks, underground streams, and caverns
Appalachian Plateau Facts • The Appalachian Plateau has rugged, irregular topography and is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks
Appalachian Plateau Facts • Do you notice any thing in these layers?
Virginia Coal • Most of Virginia's coal is found in the Appalachian Plateau.
Virginia Coal • These old sedimentary rocks contain many fossils and tons of coal.