Virginia Geology Notes:The 5 provinces of VA. Name: ______________
Virginia is divided into_______ provinces based on their _____________________(rock) formations.
1. _____________ _________
Coastal Plain includes a flat region of sedimentary strata (layers of sand, mud, & gravel) that extends east of the Fall Line for more than 100 miles where it meets the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean.
The Coastal Plain runs from the ___________ ______ on the west, to the ______________ ___________ on the east. The Fall Line is a low east-facing cliff paralleling the Atlantic coast, there are many waterfalls where rivers cross this line. It is where the rocks transition from harder to softer.
It is a _______________________landscape (like stair steps down toward the ocean)
_________________ (sand, silt and clay) produced by _____________ of the __________________ Mts. covers the plain, including the beaches. Remember, our mountains once had higher elevations!
Due to climate changes, sea levels rose and fell and _________________ were left at various layers
Fossils include various _________________ organisms like clams, scallops, sharks teeth, and other hard remains. Paleozoic era, Mesozoic era, and Cenozoic era fossils are found in Virginia.
•35 million years ago a large ______________________ crashed into the shallow sea (now known as the Chesapeake Bay) and created a crater 90 km in diameter. It is now buried under 1.2 km of sediment.
