Earth Science SOL Review Sheet #10: Virginia Province

Earth Science SOL Review Sheet #10: 

Virginia Province    

Essential Knowledge and Skills

·   The five physiographic provinces are Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau.

·   The Coastal Plain is a flat area underlain by young, unconsolidated sediments. These layers of sediment were produced by erosion of the Appalachian Mountains and then deposited on the Coastal Plain.

·   The Piedmont is an area of rolling hills underlain by mostly ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks. The igneous rocks are the roots of volcanoes formed during an ancient episode of subduction that occurred before the formation of the Appalachian Mountains.

·   The Blue Ridge is a high ridge separating the Piedmont from the Valley and Ridge Province. The billion-year old igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Blue Ridge are the oldest in the state.  Some metamorphism of these rocks occurred during the formation of the Appalachian Mountains.

·   The Valley and Ridge province is an area with long parallel ridges and valleys underlain by ancient folded and faulted sedimentary rocks. The folding and faulting of the sedimentary rocks occurred during a collision between Africa and North America. The collision, which occurred in the late Paleozoic era, produced the Appalachian Mountains.

·   The Appalachian Plateau as an area with rugged, irregular topography and underlain 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.

·   Label a map and recognize the major features of the physiographic provinces of Virginia.

 

Let's practice some important words you need to know.

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Vocabulary

Multiple Choice

Virginia province which lies to the northwest of the Valley and Ridge; source of coal (Virginia’s most valuable mineral resource)

• Blue Ridge Mountains
• Piedmont Plateau
• Coastal Plain
• Appalachian Plateau

Multiple Choice

Mountains of folded and faulted igneous rock formed when Africa and North America collided

• Blue Ridge

• Rocky Mountains
• Andes Mountains
• Himalayas

Multiple Choice

A sedimentary or sometimes metamorphic rock formed by the compaction of ancient plants and animals over a period of millions of years; a fossil fuel found in the Appalachian Plateau

• Granite
• Coal
• Limestone
• Basalt

Multiple Choice

The youngest province in Virginia; the land from the fall line eastward to the Atlantic Ocean; a landform that is broad, flat area along a coastline; also called a lowland

• Coastal Plain

• Blue Ridge Mountains
• Shenandoah Valley
• Appalachian Plateau

Multiple Choice

The boundary between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont; an abrupt change in elevation causes rapids and small waterfalls to be common

• Coastal Ridge
• River Valley
• Piedmont Plateau
• Fall Line

Multiple Choice

A bend in rock with an anticline (up-fold) and syncline (down-fold)

• Fold

• Deposition

• Erosion

• Compression

Multiple Choice

The largest physiographic province in Virginia; bounded on the east by the fall zone and on the west by the mountains of the Blue Ridge; rolling hills of igneous and some sedimentary rock

• Appalachian Plateau
• Coastal Plain
• Valley and Ridge
• Piedmont

Multiple Choice

The long parallel ridges and valleys to the west of the Blue Ridge mountains which are part of the major landform feature of North America; the Great Valley which stretches from New York to Alabama, a region of Karst topography

• Valley & Ridge

• Sierra & Coastal Range

• Rocky Mountains & Great Plains

• Cascade Range & Central Valley

Now, let's try some SOL-type questions.

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SOL Review

Multiple Choice

The fall line is located between which two provinces?

• provinces U and T

• provinces T and S

• provinces S and R

• provinces R and Q

Multiple Choice

Letter S points to which province?

• Valley and Ridge

• Blue Ridge

• Piedmont

• Appalachian Plateau

Multiple Choice

Which of the following Virginia provinces has the most karst topography?

• Province U

• Province T

• Province S

• Province R

Multiple Choice

Letter R points to which province?

• Valley and Ridge

• Blue Ridge

• Piedmont

• Coastal Plain

Multiple Choice

Letter T points to which province?

• Valley and Ridge

• Blue Ridge

• Piedmont

• Appalachian Plateau

Multiple Choice

This is famous building is called the Rotunda. It is located on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Charlottesville is located in an area that has many low rolling hills. In which province is it located?

• Valley and Ridge

• Blue Ridge

• Piedmont

• Appalachian Plateau

Multiple Choice

Luray Caverns, Endless Caverns, Skyline Caverns, Grand Caverns, Shenandoah Caverns and several more, are located in which province?

• Valley and Ridge

• Blue Ridge

• Piedmont

• Appalachian Plateau

Multiple Choice

Which province are you most likely to find a fossil fuel, nonrenewable resource?

• Valley and Ridge

• Blue Ridge

• Piedmont

• Appalachian Plateau

Multiple Choice

What is the fossil fuel mentioned above? (in the question: Which province are you most likely to find a fossil fuel, nonrenewable resource?)

• Coal

• Uranium

• Oil

• Limestone

Multiple Choice

This is a picture of the end of Massanutten Mountain. It is one of several long, narrow mountains that have river valleys (like the Shenandoah River) between them. In which province is it located?

• Valley and Ridge

• Blue Ridge

• Piedmont

• Appalachian Plateau

Multiple Choice

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?

• Valley and Ridge

• Blue Ridge

• Piedmont

• Appalachian Plateau

Multiple Choice

On the same trip mentioned above, you noticed that the road was very flat with hardly any hills or mountains. You were MOST LIKELY in which province?

• Valley and Ridge

• Blue Ridge

• Piedmont

• Coastal Plain