THE 7 PHYSIOGRPAHIC AREAS OF PA
Aphysiographicregionisanareadefinedbyitsgeologyanditslandforms(andsometimesitsplantsandanimals).AsyoutravelacrosstheUS,yougothroughareasofmountains,plateaus,forests,deserts,beaches,etc.Weeasilyrecognizethesebigdifferences.Geologistsliketobemorespecificaboutdefiningareas.Theyuseadditionalinformationtohelpthemdecideonboundarylines—informationsuchaswhattypeofrockisbelowthesurface,orthechemistryofthesoil.Thesearethingswecan’tseeasweridealong.Youcan’tlookoutthewindowandseewhetherthereiscoalorsaltdeepundertheground.
Pennsylvaniahas7physiographicregions(or“provinces”):
1TheCoastalPlainProvinceisprimarilyfoundinDelaware,MarylandandNewJersey.Pennsylvaniahasonlyatinystripofthisprovince,runningalongthebottomrightcornerofthestate.Itisveryflatbutitsrocksareinteresting.IthashistoricallybeenoneofthebestplacesinPAtocollectgemstones.
2ThePiedmont(PEED-mont)Provinceisfairlyflat,varyinginelevationbyonlyafewhundredfeet.Therearehills,buttheyarelow,gentlyrollinghills.Ithasboththeyoungestandoldestbedrockinthestate,butnocoal.Thisprovincehasthegreatestamountofearthquakeactivity(thoughfortunately,smallones!).Theword“pied”means“foot,”andtheword“mont”means“mountainorhill”soPiedmontmeans“foothills.”
3TheBlueRidgeProvincerunsprimarilythroughMarylandandVirginia.Pennsylvaniahasonlyatinybitofthetopofthislong,thinstrip.ItisnamedafteramountainridgeinVirginia.
4NewEnglandProvinceisfoundprimarilyinConnecticutandMassachusetts,twoNewEnglandstates.TheportionofthisprovincethatdipsintoeasternPAiscalledtheReading(RED-ing)Prong.Theword“prong”referstoaprojectioncomingoutofsomethinglikeaforkorplug.YoucanseethattheReadingProngdoeslooklikeithastwoprongs.TherocksoftheReadingProngarehighinuranium,whichproducesradongas.
5TheValleyandRidgeProvincecontinuesdownthroughWestVirginiaandVirgina.ThisiswheretheAppalachianMountainsbegin.ThesectioninsidePAisdividedupintotwosubsections: 1)TheGreatValleysection,whichisdefinedbythelayersofrockunderitssurface. 2)AppalachianMountainsection,whichisdefinedbytheveryvisibleAppalachianridgesthatrundiagonallyacrossthestate.Thistypeofmountainstructure—long,parallelridges—isnotseenanywhereelseonearth(atleastnottothisdegree).Thisregionhashigh-qualitycoalcalledanthracite.
6TheAppalachianPlateauProvincehasmanycoalandnaturalgasdeposits.(ThisiswhereMarcellusShaleisbeingtappedforgas.)Itisalsodividedintosubsections.Thelargestsubsectionsare: 1)theAlleghenyMountainsection,apartoftheAppalachiansthathaslotsofscatteredhillsandmountains.ThisregionhasthepointofhighestelevationinPA:Mt.Davisat3212ft(969km). 2)theAlleghenyHighPlateausection,anareaofgenerallyhigherelevationbutalsoverymountainousandcoveredbyforests(theAlleghenyNationalForest) 3)thePittsburghLowPlateausection,anareaoflowerelevationthatisstillveryhilly 4)theGlaciatedareas,theplaceswhereglaciersusedtobethousandsofyearsago
7TheCentralLowlandProvinceisathinstripalongtheEriecoastline.
COLORINGTIPS:Leavetheoceanandlakeareasuncolored.NotethesuggestiontomakealltheAppalachianPlateauareasdifferentshadesofgreen,andtheValleyandRidgeareastwoshadesofblue.TheCoastalPlainincludeseasternVAandMD,almostallofDE,southernNJ,LongIs-land,andthenarrowstripwherePhiladelphiais.ThePiedmontisthelongstripthatincludesthelettersRYLANDandVIRGIN(thetopofthestripgoesupintoNJandNY).TheBlueRidgeisthelong,skinnystripthatincludestheAinMARYLAND.TheNewEnglandProvincehastheReadingProng,andcontinuesupthroughNJandintoCTandMA.TheCentralLowlandisthestripalongLakeErie.TheGreatValleyisbetweentheAp-palachianMountainareaandthePiedmontandBlueRidge.TheAppalachianMountainareacontainsthelettersYLVANIAandgoesdownthroughMD,WVandVA,aswellasthenortherntipofNJandupintoNY.TheAlleghenyMountainregionincludestheSinPENNSYLVANIAandgoesdownintoWV.ThePittsburghLowPlateauincludesthelettersPENNandgoesdownintoWV.TheAlleghenyHighPlateauisbetweenPENNandNEW.TheGlaciatedareasaretheupperleftcornerandupperrightcornerofPA,plusalargeregionofOHIOandmostofNEWYORK.
PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF PENNSYLVANIA and its neighbors
P E N N S Y L V A N I AOHIO
V I R G I N I A
W E S TV I R G I N I A
DE
LA
WA
RE
NEWJERSEY
N E W Y O R K
M A R Y L A N D
ATLANTIC OCEAN
LAKE ERIE
CT
MA
CoastalPlain
Piedmont
BlueRidge
NewEngland(ReadingProng)
CentralLowland AppalachianPlateau (allgreen,butwtiheachareaadifferentshadeofgreen)
ValleyandRidge(bothblue,butdifferentshades)
AlleghenyMountains
AlleghenyHighPlateau
PittsburghLowPlateau
Glaciatedareas
GreatValley
AppalachianMtns.
LONG ISLAND
Hereisonepossiblewayyoucancolortheregions.Youdon’thavetousethiscolorscheme.Youcanmakeyourownchoicesforwhichareasgetwhichcolors.Aslongasyoufillintheboxesinthekeybelowthemap,youcanmaketheregionswhatevercoloryouwish. Ifyouhavelimitedcolors,noticethatyoucanmakearegionstriped,asIdidherewiththeBlueRidgeregion.Youcanalsoachievedifferentshadesbylayingcolorsovercolors.Forexample,theGreatValleyregioninthismapiswhiteoverblue.TheAlleghenyMountainregionisacombinationofgreenandyellow.
