The Geology of Virginia

A Resource for Information on the Commonwealth's Geology

  • MInerals, Rocks & Fossils
  • VA Geologic History
  • Geology Now
  • Hydrology
  • Maps & Diagrams
  • Resources
  • WM Geology

Coal Strata in the Appalachian Plateau

August 14, 2016 by Chuck Bailey ·
Layers of sandstone, shale, and coal in the Appalachian Plateau, Wise County.
Filed Under: featured image · Tagged: Appalachian Plateau, coal, Wise County, Wise Formation

Featured Image

HylasZoneMylonite

Hylas Zone Mylonite

This micrograph illustrates a mylonite from the Hylas Zone in the eastern Piedmont ~5 km west of Doswell, Virginia.  The rock is characterized by a well-developed foliation with elongate quartz ribbons (transparent grains) and feldspar porphyroclasts.  The rock originally was a granodiorite that was strongly deformed and sheared, under ductile conditions, into a mylonite. Checkout […]

Browse all Featured Images

See the Featured Images Map

What’s New in Virginia Geology

Nelsonite-scalebar

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 […]

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2025 · Backcountry Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in