The Geology of Virginia

A Resource for Information on the Commonwealth's Geology

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Nottoway Falls in the Piedmont of south-central Virginia

Nottoway Falls

Nottoway Falls is an impressive set of cascades along the Nottoway River in the south-central Piedmont.  Here the Nottoway River forms an impressive knick zone, dropping ~30 meters (~100′) in less than 1 kilometer (0.6 mi.).  A strongly lineated granitic gneiss is well-exposed during low water conditions.  The origin of this knick zone is poorly […]

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What’s New in Virginia Geology

pluton contact

At the Pluton’s Edge

When large quantities of magma intrude and solidify in the Earth’s crust they form bodies of intrusive igneous rock known as plutons. The featured image nicely illustrates the edge (geologic contact) of a granitic pluton in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia. The granite is part of the 706 ± 4 million year old […]

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