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Virginia’s Physiographic Provinces

Virginia’s Physiographic Provinces. Area defined by geologic activity, rock type, and age. 1. Coastal Plain (flat). Provinces. 2. Piedmont (rolling hills). 3. Blue Ridge (mountains). 4. Valley and Ridge (mountains). 5. Appalachian Plateau (elevated flat land). 4. 1. 2. 5. 3.

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Virginia’s Physiographic Provinces

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  1. Virginia’s Physiographic Provinces Area defined by geologic activity, rock type, and age

  2. 1. Coastal Plain (flat) Provinces 2. Piedmont (rolling hills) 3. Blue Ridge (mountains) 4. Valley and Ridge (mountains) 5. Appalachian Plateau (elevated flat land) 4 1 2 5 3 Fall line rapid change in elevation

  3. 1. Coastal Plain 1 Topography Rock / Age Resources Sedimentary 1-140 myo Clay Oil and gas (offshore) Sand and gravel • Flat (less than 50 m) • bordering the • Chesapeake Bay • and the Atlantic Ocean Geologic Activity: CP = product of erosion of the Appalachian Mountains and oceanic sedimentary deposits.

  4. 2. Piedmont 2 Rock Resources Geologic Activity Topography Metamorphic Igneous Sedimentary Soapstone Slate Gold Pyrite Vermiculite Iron Zinc Copper Coal Rolling hills • Folding • Faulting (earthquakes) • Intrusions (magma) This area is the product of convergence (plates moving together)

  5. Rock / Age Resources Topography Metamorphic Igneous 1.2 byo Copper Tin Iron Granite Turquoise Quartzite 3 3. Blue Ridge Mountains Ridges • Geologic Activity: • Folding • Faulting (earthquakes) • intrusions The Blue Ridge is a high ridge separating the Piedmont and the Valley. It is a result of convergence.

  6. Rock and Age Resources Topography Sedimentary 300-550myo Lime Zinc Gypsum Lead Iron Limestone Mountains 4 4. Valley and Ridge • Geologic Activity: • Folding • Faulting (earthquakes) • Karst *This area is the result of convergence between Africa and North America.

  7. Rock and Age Resources Geologic Activity Sedimentary 280-320myo Coal Oil Natural gas Folding Faulting (earthquakes) 5. Appalachian Plateau Topography: Used to be high, flat area, now hills 5 *This area is the result of uplift from the convergence of plates. It is no longer a flat-topped area due to weathering and erosion.

  8. Watershed The area of land where all of the water that is under it or falls on it drains into the same place. • Virginia has nine major river systems. • The New, Tennessee and Big Sandy empty (shed) into the Gulf of Mexico. • The Chowan and Roanoke empty (shed) into the Albemarle Sound. • The Potomac-Shenandoah, Rappahannock, York, and James empty (shed) into the Chesapeake Bay.

  9. Chesapeake Bay Watershed 15 MILLION people live in this watershed!

  10. Chesapeake Bay Watershed • Major Sources of Pollution • Runoff (non point source!) • Fertilizers, pesticides, oil, other chemicals from roadways, animal wastes • The Solution? • Reduce chemical use • Natural filters

  11. Consolidation and Water Quality Virginia is underlain by igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Throughout the five provinces sedimentary is the dominant rock type. Rock type and consolidation (how tightly packed the grains are within the sediment or bedrock), and age all contribute to the quality of groundwater. When the rock sediments have enough space for water and air to move through (porous), the water is naturally filtered. As the rock becomes more consolidated (less pore space for water movement), the water is not able to filter naturally.

  12. No Space Space As compaction increases water quality decreases. *Worst *Best As compaction increases, Water Quality decreases.

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