VIRGINIA GEOLOGY COMPUTER LAB

EARTH SCIENCE

OBJECTIVES:

·  LABEL THE MAP WITH THE 5 PROVINCES

·  LIST THE MAJOR ROCK AND SEDIMENT FORMATIONS OF EACH PROVINCE

·  DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF EACH PROVINCE

·  LIST THE MAJOR RESOURCES OF VIRGINIA AND WHERE THEY ARE FOUND

FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BELOW:

GO TO www.wm.edu/geology/virginia

LABEL THE VIRGINIA MAP (ATTACHED) WITH THE CORRECT PROVINCE NAMES (PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF VIRGINIA).\

Be sure to include the Fall Line/Zone on your map.

AFTER YOU HAVE LABELED YOUR MAP, CLICK ON THE SECTION FOR COASTAL PLAIN (IN YELLOW). ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

LOCATE THE WORDS “FALL ZONE”.

1. WHAT DOES THE “FALL ZONE” LOOK LIKE TODAY?

2. WHERE IS THE FALL ZONE LOCATED? (BETWEEN WHICH TWO PROVINCES?)

3. THE CHESAPEAKE BAY IS THE YOUNGEST VIRGINIA FORMATION. HOW MANY YEARS AGO WAS THE CHESAPEAKE BAY CREATED?

4. HOW WAS THE BAY CREATED?

5. LIST THE TYPES OF SEDIMENTS FOUND IN THE COASTAL PLAIN.

6. WHAT EVENT INTERRUPTED THE DEPOSITION OF SEDIMENTS?

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, CLICK ON PIEDMONT. ONCE YOU ARE THERE, GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ON SIMPLIFIED FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, ( CALLED SIMPLIFIED FROM THIS POINT FORWARD IN THIS LAB).

7. THE PIEDMONT PROVINCE IS THE ______OF ALL OF THE VIRGINIA PROVINCES.

8. WHAT TYPE OF BEDROCK MAKES UP THE PIEDMONT PROVINCE?

9. WAS THIS AREA EVER VOLCANIC?

10. WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC RESOURCE OF THE PIEDMONT?

GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ON BLUE RIDGE. GO TO SIMPLIFIED AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

11. ROCKS ON THE BLUE RIDGE ARE THE OLDEST, HOW OLD ARE THEY?

12. ______AND ______COLLIDED

TO MOVE ROCKS NW ALONG A FAULT LINE.

13. LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE ARE CARBONATES FORMED

FROM:

14. WHAT IS GREENSTONE?

15. WHAT IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN VIRGINIA AND ITS ELEVATION?

GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ON THE VALLEY RIDGE PROVINCE. GO TO SIMPLIFIED AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

16. WHY IS THIS PROVINCE CALLED THE VALLEY RIDGE?

17. WHY IS IT CALLED THE “GREAT AMERICAN CARBONATE

RIDGE”?

18. THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY IS KNOWN AS THE ______VALLEY.

19. THIS PROVINCE IS KNOWN FOR KARST BECAUSE OF CAVES AND SINKHOLES PRESENT IN THE LIMESTONE. CLICK ON THE WORD SINKHOLE AND DRAW THE SYMBOL FOR A SINKHOLE ON A TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP (YOU MAY CUT AND PASTE THE SYMBOL FROM THE WEBSITE).

USE THE BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS PAGE AND CLICK ON APPALACHIAN PLATEAU. GO TO SIMPLIFIED AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

20. DESCRIBE THE TERRAIN (WHAT THE LAND LOOKS LIKE) OF THE APPALACHIAN PLATEAU.

21. LIST THE THREE MAJOR MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE APPALACHIAN PLATEAU.

CLICK ON THE GEOLOGIC ROCK CYCLE AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

22. LIST THE PROVINCES THAT ARE COMPOSED ON SEDIMENTARY ROCKS (THERE ARE 3).

23. WHICH PROVINCE IS COMPOSED ON IGNEOUS ROCK?

24. WHICH ONE IS COMPOSED OF METAMORPHIC ROCK?

GO BACK TO THE HOME PAGE AND CLICK ON RIVERS AND WATERSHEDS.

25. WHICH DIRECTION DO MOST VIRGINIA RIVERS FLOW?

26. WHAT AREA SEPARATES THE PIEDMONT FROM THE COASTAL PLAIN?

27. CLICK ON THE POTOMAC AND SHENANDOAH SYSTEM. LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND LOCATE THE 4TH PICTURE FROM THE TOP, NORTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH, WHAT STAGE IS THIS RIVER? (YOUNG, MATURE OR OLD?)

28. WHICH PROVINCE IS LOUDOUN COUNTY LOCATED?

29. NAME TWO MAJOR CITIES FOR EACH OF THE 5 PROVINCES.