The Geology of Virginia

A Resource for Information on the Commonwealth's Geology

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Geologic time scale

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HighlandGeoMap

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 […]

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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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