Which Virginia region has rugged, irregular topography and is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks; most of Virginia's coal is found there?

Which Virginia region has rugged, irregular topography and is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks; most of Virginia's coal is found there?

• A. Piedmont
• B. Blue Ridge
• C. Valley and Ridge
• D. Appalachian Plateau

Answer: (D)

Virginia’s coal deposits are tied to a specific landscape and rock type. The region that has rugged, irregular topography and is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks is the Appalachian Plateau. This area sits to the west, where the landscape is a dissected plateau—high relief cut by rivers into irregular rock outcrops. The rocks here are old sedimentary layers that lie almost horizontally, which preserved coal seams within them. That combination—rugged plateau terrain and flat-lying sedimentary rocks—makes it the primary source of Virginia’s coal. Other Virginia regions differ in either the land form or the bedrock. For example, the Piedmont features rolling hills on older metamorphic rocks, the Blue Ridge is a belt of high, rugged mountains with metamorphic bedrock, and the Valley and Ridge consists of long parallel ridges from folded sedimentary rocks. While each has distinct scenery, they don’t match the specific mix of rugged plateau topography and flat-lying sedimentary rocks that hosts the coal fields.

Virginia’s coal deposits are tied to a specific landscape and rock type. The region that has rugged, irregular topography and is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks is the Appalachian Plateau. This area sits to the west, where the landscape is a dissected plateau—high relief cut by rivers into irregular rock outcrops. The rocks here are old sedimentary layers that lie almost horizontally, which preserved coal seams within them. That combination—rugged plateau terrain and flat-lying sedimentary rocks—makes it the primary source of Virginia’s coal.

Other Virginia regions differ in either the land form or the bedrock. For example, the Piedmont features rolling hills on older metamorphic rocks, the Blue Ridge is a belt of high, rugged mountains with metamorphic bedrock, and the Valley and Ridge consists of long parallel ridges from folded sedimentary rocks. While each has distinct scenery, they don’t match the specific mix of rugged plateau topography and flat-lying sedimentary rocks that hosts the coal fields.