An earthcache that showcases Virginia's diverse geology at a single location!
Virginia has an interesting and varied geologic history that spans nearly one and one half billion years. Rocks in the Commonwealth record that history. Across Virginia, the landscape exhibits all major rock types: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.
The Educational Rock and Mineral Garden was designed to display a portion of Virginia’s geological variety, and includes 49 large and unique specimens.
The garden is located at the offices of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy in the Fontaine Research Park, 900 Natural Resources Drive, Charlottesville, Virginia, and is open to the public.
Approximate collection locations of specimens in the Educational Rock and Mineral Garden.
Specimens in the rock garden represent every geologic region in Virginia. The map and table below provide information about each of these regions, which have distinct characteristics and history. From west to east, the regions are the Appalachian Plateaus, Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge, Western Piedmont, Central Piedmont, Eastern Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
When you visit the rock garden, plan to spend up to an hour (or longer if you are really into rocks!) examining the specimens and reading through the information provided in the available guidebooks. A digital version of the guidebook is available.
Based on the information provided above (questions 1-3) and your visit to the rock garden (questions 4-6), please answer the following :
Question 1: Which geologic province in Virginia contains the oldest rocks?
Question 2: Which geologic province in Virginia contains the youngest rocks?
Question 3: How many of Virginia’s geologic provinces contain gneiss, a metamorphic rock?
Question 4: Specimen 6 is an igneous rock called gabbro. This rock contains needle-like black crystals of the mineral amphibole. What is the approximate length, in inches or cm of the longest amphibole crystal on the upper surface of this specimen?
Question 5: Specimen 31 is a sedimentary rock called conglomerate. It contains large fragments (clasts) of other rocks. How many different types of rocks can you find as clasts in this conglomerate?
Question 6: Which of the samples in the rock garden is your favorite? Why?
This web page incorporates some text directly from:
Marr, J. and Sites, R., 2002, A guide to the educational rock and mineral garden: samples of Virginia’s geological diversity: Virginia Minerals, v. 48, n. 2 and 3, 16 p.
Thanks to Kirk Yeager for suggesting an earthcache at this location and for providing guidance and helpful suggestions in developing the site.