Well-exposed columnar joints in the Ediacaran Catoctin Formation. These columns formed as cooling cracks as 570 to 550 Ma lava flows solidified. Exposure on Compton Mountain in Shenandoah National Park.
Catoctin Columns
August 5, 2016 by ·
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Highland County Geologic Map
This image illustrates part of the geological map of Highland County, Virginia in the Valley & Ridge province. Note the linear belts Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that are repeated by folding. From oldest to youngest these include O1 = lower Ordovician strata, O2 = upper Ordovician strata, S1 = Silurian strata, SD = Silurian-Devonian strata, D1 […]
What’s New in Virginia Geology
Virginia’s State Rock: Nelsonite
On July 1, 2016, Governor Terry McCauliffe signed a bill into law that made nelsonite the first official state rock of Virginia. The initiative for this project was led by students from Piedmont Virginia Community College. Michelle Stanislaus and her classmates from their Historical Geology class and Government class ran the petition for this law starting […]