Earth Science SOL Review Sheet #1

Earth Science SOL Review Sheet #10: Virginia Provinces

Essential Knowledge and Skills and animals over a period of millions of years; a  The five physiographic provinces are fossil fuel found in the Appalachian Plateau Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley Coastal Plain – the youngest province in Virginia; and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau. the land from the fall line eastward to the Atlantic  The Coastal Plain is a flat area underlain Ocean; a landform that is broad, flat area along a by young, unconsolidated sediments. coastline; also called a lowland These layers of sediment were produced Fall line – the boundary between the Coastal Plain by erosion of the Appalachian Mountains and the Piedmont; an abrupt change in elevation and then deposited on the Coastal Plain. causes rapids and small waterfalls to be common  The Piedmont is an area of rolling hills fold – bend in rock with an anticline (up-fold) and underlain by mostly ancient igneous and syncline (down-fold) metamorphic rocks. The igneous rocks are Piedmont – the largest physiographic province in the roots of volcanoes formed during an Virginia; bounded on the east by the fall zone and ancient episode of subduction that on the west by the mountains of the Blue Ridge; occurred before the formation of the rolling hills of igneous and some sedimentary rock Appalachian Mountains. Valley & Ridge – long parallel ridges and valleys  The Blue Ridge is a high ridge separating to the west of the Blue Ridge mountains which are the Piedmont from the Valley and Ridge part of the major landform feature of North Province. The billion-year old igneous and America; the Great Valley which stretches from metamorphic rocks of the Blue Ridge are New York to Alabama, a region of Karst the oldest in the state. Some topography metamorphism of these rocks occurred during the formation of the Appalachian Now You Try It! Mountains. Practice Questions: Circle the correct  The Valley and Ridge province is an area answer! with long parallel ridges and valleys underlain by ancient folded and faulted Use this map of Virginia as a reference for sedimentary rocks. The folding and several of the following questions: faulting of the sedimentary rocks occurred during a collision between Africa and North America. The collision, which occurred in Virginia’s the late Paleozoic era, produced the Physiographic Appalachian Mountains. Provinces  The Appalachian Plateau as an area with rugged, irregular topography and underlain U by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks. The area is actually a series of plateaus separated by faults. Most of Virginia’s coal resources are found in the Plateau Province. T S R Q  Label a map and recognize the major features of the physiographic provinces of Virginia. 1. The fall line is located between which two provinces? Important Words You Need to Know: A provinces U and T B provinces T and S C provinces S and R Appalachian Plateau – Virginia province which D provinces R and Q lies to the northwest of the Valley and Ridge; source of coal (Virginia’s most valuable mineral 2. Letter S points to which province? resource) A Valley and Ridge Blue Ridge – mountains of folded and faulted B Blue Ridge igneous rock formed when Africa and North C Piedmont America collided D Appalachian Plateau Coal – a sedimentary or sometimes metamorphic rock formed by the compaction of ancient plants 3. Which of the following Virginia provinces Caverns and several more, are located in has the most karst topography? which province? A province U A Valley and Ridge B province T B Blue Ridge C province S C Piedmont D province R D Appalachian Plateau 4. Letter R points to which province? 8. Which province are you most likely to find A Valley and Ridge a fossil fuel, nonrenewable resource? B Blue Ridge A Valley and Ridge C Piedmont B Blue Ridge D Coastal Plain C Piedmont D Appalachian Plateau 5. Letter T points to which province? A Valley and Ridge 9. What is the fossil fuel mentioned above? B Blue Ridge A Coal C Piedmont B Uranium D Appalachian Plateau C Oil D Limestone 6. This is famous building is called the Rotunda. It is located on the grounds of the 10. This is a picture of the end of Massanutten University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Mountain. It is one of several long, narrow Charlottesville is located in an area that has mountains that have river valleys (like the many low rolling hills. In which province is it Shenandoah River) between them. In which located? province is it located?

A Valley and Ridge B Blue Ridge C Piedmont D Appalachian Plateau

11. Imagine that you were on a trip driving from Hampton to West Virginia. The first time you felt your ears pop, you were MOST LIKELY in which province? A Valley and Ridge B Blue Ridge A Valley and Ridge C Piedmont B Blue Ridge D Coastal Plain C Piedmont D Appalachian Plateau 12. On the same trip mentioned above, you noticed that the road was very flat with 7. Luray Caverns, Endless Caverns, Skyline hardly any hills or mountains. You were Caverns, Grand Caverns, Shenandoah MOST LIKELY in which province? A Valley and Ridge B Blue Ridge C Piedmont D Coastal Plain