Virginia

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Virginias Physiographic Provinces
Area defined by geologic activity, rock type, and
age
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Provinces
1. Coastal Plain (flat)
2. Piedmont (rolling hills)
3. Blue Ridge (mountains)
4. Valley and Ridge (mountains)
5. Appalachian Plateau (elevated flat land)
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Fall line rapid change in elevation
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1. Coastal Plain
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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.
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2. Piedmont
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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)
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3. Blue Ridge
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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.
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4. Valley and Ridge
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• Geologic Activity
• Folding
• Faulting (earthquakes)
• Karst

This area is the result of convergence between
Africa and North America.
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5. Appalachian Plateau
Topography Used to be high, flat area, now hills
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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.
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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.

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Chesapeake Bay Watershed
15 MILLION people live in this watershed!
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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

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