Blue Ridge Mountains
Information about Blue Ridge Mountains
| Blue Ridge Mountains | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Country | | United States |
| States | | Georgia,North Carolina,Tennessee,Virginia,Maryland,Pennsylvania |
| Part of | Appalachian Mountains |
| Geology | granite,gneiss,limestone |
| Orogeny | Grenville orogeny |
| Highest point | | Mount Mitchell |
| - coordinates | |
| - elevation | 6,684 ft (0 m) |
) Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Mountains | |
The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a mountain chain in the eastern United States, part of the Appalachian Mountains, forming their eastern front from Georgia to Pennsylvania. The mountains are well known for their bluish color when seen from a distance. To the west of the Blue Ridge, between it and the bulk of the Appalachians, lies the Great Valley, bordered on the west by the Ridge and Valley province.
Geography
)
The Blue Ridge Mountains as seen from Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
The Blue Ridge extends north into Pennsylvania as South Mountain. While South Mountain dwindles to mere hills between Gettysburg and Harrisburg, the band of ancient rocks that forms the core of the Blue Ridge continues northeast through the New Jersey and Hudson River highlands, eventually reaching The Berkshires of Massachusetts and the Green Mountains of Vermont.
The highest peak in the Blue Ridge and the Appalachian chain is Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina at 6,684 feet (2,037 m). There are 39 peaks in North Carolina and Tennessee higher than 6,000 feet (1,829 m); by comparison, only New Hampshire's Mt. Washington rises above 6,000 feet in the northern portion of the Appalachian chain.
The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles (750 km) along the crests of the Southern Appalachians and links two national parks: Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains. In many places along the parkway, there are metamorphic rocks (gneiss) with folded bands of light-and dark-colored minerals, which sometimes look like the folds and swirls in a marble cake.
Geology
Most of the rocks that form the Blue Ridge Mountains are ancient granitic charnockites, metamorphosed volcanic formations, and sedimentary limestones.Recent studies completed by Richard Tollo, a professor and geologist at the George Washington University, provide greater insight into the petrologic and geochronologic history of the Blue Ridge basement suites. Modern studies have found that the basement geology of the Blue Ridge is made of compositionally unique gneisses and granitoids, including orthopyroxene-bearing charnockites. Analyses of zircon minerals in the granites completed by John Aleinikoff at the U.S. Geological Survey have provided more detailed emplacement ages.
Many of the features found in the Blue Ridge and documented by Tollo and others have confirmed that the rocks exhibit many similar features in other North American Grenville-age terranes. The lack of a calc-alkaline affinity and zircon ages less than 1,200 Ma suggest that Blue Ridge are unique from the Adirondacks, Green Mountains, and possibly the New York-New Jersey Highlands. The petrologic and geochronologic data suggest that the Blue Ridge basement is a composite orogenic crust that was emplaced during several episodes from a crustal magma source. Field relationships further illustrate that rocks emplaced prior to 1,078-1,064 Ma preserve deformational features. Those emplaced post-1,064 Ma generally have a massive texture and missed the main episode of Mesoproterozoic compression.[1]
History
The English who settled Virginia in the early 1600s recorded that the native Powhatan name for the Blue Ridge was Quirank.At the foot of the Blue Ridge, various tribes including the Siouan Manahoacs, the Iroquois, and the Shawnee hunted and fished. As more settlers moved into Virginia, their economic and at times martial competition pushed the native inhabitants west.[2]
Flora and fauna
Popular culture
The song "Stonewall Jackson's Way"- Come, stack arms, men. Pile on the rails,
- Stir up the campfire bright;
- No matter if the canteen fails,
- We'll make a roaring night.
- Here Shenandoah brawls along,
- There burly Blue Ridge echoes strong
- To swell the brigade's rousing song
- Of "Stonewall Jackson's way."
- The chorus of the popular song, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, runs,
- "In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia,
- On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine,
- In the pale moonshine, our hearts entwined,
- Where she carved her name and I carved mine,
- O June. Like the mountains I'm blue,
- Like the pine, I am lonesome for you,"
The song was popularized in the 1930s by the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, who sang it in their film, Way Out West. Their recording was released (posthumously) as a hit record in 1975, achieving chart success in the United Kingdom.[3]
- John Denver sang of the Blue Ridge in the celebrated 1971 song "Take Me Home, Country Roads". The lyrics place the mountain range in the state of West Virginia, although in fact, the only part of the range falling within that state is at its easternmost tip, at a point near Harper's Ferry.
Mountains
)
- South Mountain, Pennsylvania, Maryland
- Catoctin Mountain, Maryland, Virginia
- Bull Run Mountain, Virginia
- Short Hill Mountain, Virginia
- Peaks of Otter, Virginia
- Poor Mountain, Virginia
- Brushy Mountain, Virginia
- Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina
- Roan Mountain, Tennessee, North Carolina
- Black Mountains, North Carolina
- Mount Mitchell, North Carolina
- Great Craggy Mountains, North Carolina
- Great Balsam Mountains, North Carolina
- Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, North Carolina
- Standing Indian Mountain, North Carolina
- Unicoi Range, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia
- Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina
See also
References
1. ^ Geological Society of America
2. ^ History of Rappahannock County
3. ^ Internet Movie Database, Way Out West
2. ^ History of Rappahannock County
3. ^ Internet Movie Database, Way Out West
External links
)
| State of Maryland Annapolis (capital) | |
|---|---|
| Cities | Government | History | Congressional Delegations | |
| Regions | Allegheny Mountains | Atlantic Coastal Plain | Baltimore‑Washington Metro Area | Blue Ridge | Chesapeake | Cumberland Valley | Delaware Valley | Delmarva Peninsula | Eastern Shore | Piedmont | Ridge and Valley | Southern Maryland | Western Maryland | Western Shore |
| Cities | Baltimore | Bethesda | Bowie | College Park | Columbia | Cumberland | Ellicott City | Frederick | Gaithersburg | Germantown | Greenbelt | Hagerstown | Laurel | Rockville | Salisbury | Silver Spring | Takoma Park | Towson | Waldorf | Westminster |
| Counties | Allegany | Anne Arundel | Baltimore City | Baltimore County | Calvert | Caroline | Carroll | Cecil | Charles | Dorchester | Frederick | Garrett | Harford | Howard | Kent | Montgomery | Prince George's | Queen Anne's | St. Mary's | Somerset | Talbot | Washington | Wicomico | Worcester |
){kind=small}
)
)
Motto
"In God We Trust" (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum" ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
..... Click the link for more information.
"In God We Trust" (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum" ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
..... Click the link for more information.
State of Georgia
Flag of Georgia Seal of Georgia
Nickname(s): Peach State, Empire State of the South
Motto(s): Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation
Official language(s) English
Capital Atlanta
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag of Georgia Seal of Georgia
Nickname(s): Peach State, Empire State of the South
Motto(s): Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation
Official language(s) English
Capital Atlanta
..... Click the link for more information.
The State of North Carolina
Flag of North Carolina Seal
Nickname(s): Tar Heel State; Old North State;
The Rip Van Winkle State
''Motto(s): Esse quam videri (Latin: To be, rather than to seem)''
Official language(s)
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag of North Carolina Seal
Nickname(s): Tar Heel State; Old North State;
The Rip Van Winkle State
''Motto(s): Esse quam videri (Latin: To be, rather than to seem)''
Official language(s)
..... Click the link for more information.
State of Tennessee
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Volunteer State
Motto(s): Agriculture and commerce
Official language(s) English
Capital Nashville
Largest city Memphis
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Volunteer State
Motto(s): Agriculture and commerce
Official language(s) English
Capital Nashville
Largest city Memphis
..... Click the link for more information.
Commonwealth of Virginia
Flag of Virginia Seal
Nickname(s): Old Dominion, Mother of Presidents
Motto(s): Sic semper tyrannis
Official language(s) English
Capital Richmond
Largest city
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag of Virginia Seal
Nickname(s): Old Dominion, Mother of Presidents
Motto(s): Sic semper tyrannis
Official language(s) English
Capital Richmond
Largest city
..... Click the link for more information.
State of Maryland
Flag of Maryland Seal
Nickname(s): Old Line State; Free State
Motto(s): Fatti maschii, parole femine
(Manly deeds, womanly words)
Official language(s) None (English, de facto
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag of Maryland Seal
Nickname(s): Old Line State; Free State
Motto(s): Fatti maschii, parole femine
(Manly deeds, womanly words)
Official language(s) None (English, de facto
..... Click the link for more information.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Flag of Pennsylvania Seal
Nickname(s): Keystone State, Quaker State,
Coal State, Oil State
Motto(s): Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Capital Harrisburg
Largest city
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag of Pennsylvania Seal
Nickname(s): Keystone State, Quaker State,
Coal State, Oil State
Motto(s): Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Capital Harrisburg
Largest city
..... Click the link for more information.
The Appalachian Mountains
Countries | United States,Canada
Regions |
..... Click the link for more information.
Appalachians in North Carolina
Countries | United States,Canada
Regions |
..... Click the link for more information.
Granite (IPA: /ˈɡrænɪt/) is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granites are usually medium to coarsely crystalline, occasionally with some individual crystals larger than the
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Gneiss (IPA: /ˈnʌɪs/) is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite (calcium carbonate: CaCO3). Limestone often contains variable amounts of silica in the form of chert or flint, as well as varying amounts of clay, silt and sand as disseminations, nodules, or layers
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
The Grenville orogeny was an episode of mountain-building (orogeny) associated with the assembly of the ancient supercontinent Rodinia. The Grenville orogeny occurred in the late Proterozoic eon, 1300-1000 million years ago (mya), as numerous continental plates collided around the
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Mount Mitchell is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in eastern North America, excluding island summits. It was the highest point in any state of the United States until Texas joined the union in 1845.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
1 foot =
SI units
0 m 0 mm
US customary / Imperial units
0 yd 0 in
A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′SI units
0 m 0 mm
US customary / Imperial units
0 yd 0 in
..... Click the link for more information.
1 metre =
SI units
1000 mm 0 cm
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 in
The metre or meter[1](symbol: m) is the fundamental unit of length in the International System of Units (SI).SI units
1000 mm 0 cm
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 in
..... Click the link for more information.
Motto
"In God We Trust" (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum" ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
..... Click the link for more information.
"In God We Trust" (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum" ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
..... Click the link for more information.
The Appalachian Mountains
Countries | United States,Canada
Regions |
..... Click the link for more information.
Appalachians in North Carolina
Countries | United States,Canada
Regions |
..... Click the link for more information.
State of Georgia
Flag of Georgia Seal of Georgia
Nickname(s): Peach State, Empire State of the South
Motto(s): Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation
Official language(s) English
Capital Atlanta
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag of Georgia Seal of Georgia
Nickname(s): Peach State, Empire State of the South
Motto(s): Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation
Official language(s) English
Capital Atlanta
..... Click the link for more information.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Flag of Pennsylvania Seal
Nickname(s): Keystone State, Quaker State,
Coal State, Oil State
Motto(s): Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Capital Harrisburg
Largest city
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag of Pennsylvania Seal
Nickname(s): Keystone State, Quaker State,
Coal State, Oil State
Motto(s): Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Capital Harrisburg
Largest city
..... Click the link for more information.
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from northern New Jersey westward into Pennsylvania and southward into Maryland, West Virginia,
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from northern New Jersey westward into Pennsylvania and southward into Maryland, West Virginia,
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Appalachian Mountain system ]]
The Great Smoky Mountains are a major mountain range in the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains, the second ridge line forming a north-south running mountain chain from the Eastern United States and bordering the western side of
..... Click the link for more information.
The Great Smoky Mountains are a major mountain range in the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains, the second ridge line forming a north-south running mountain chain from the Eastern United States and bordering the western side of
..... Click the link for more information.
Roan Mountain is a mountain in the Roan-Unaka Range of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. The mountain is a major tourist attraction, with one of the thickest stands of coniferous forest in the southern Appalachias, the world's largest
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
The Brushy Mountains are a mountain range located in northwestern North Carolina. They are an isolated "spur" of the much larger Blue Ridge Mountains. A deeply eroded range, they move from the southwest to the northeast, and cross five counties in North Carolina: Caldwell,
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Flag of Pennsylvania Seal
Nickname(s): Keystone State, Quaker State,
Coal State, Oil State
Motto(s): Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Capital Harrisburg
Largest city
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag of Pennsylvania Seal
Nickname(s): Keystone State, Quaker State,
Coal State, Oil State
Motto(s): Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Capital Harrisburg
Largest city
..... Click the link for more information.
South Mountain is a long mountain ridge in Maryland and Pennsylvania which comprises a northern extension of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The mountain begins near Knoxville, Maryland on the Potomac River and extends north, then northeast into Pennsylvania, ending near the town of
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Gettysburg is a borough 38 miles (68 km) south by southwest of Harrisburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA, of which it is the county seatGR6. As of the 2000 census, the borough's population was 7,490.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Downtown Harrisburg and the Pennsylvania State Capitol, as seen from the Susquehanna River
Seal
Location in Dauphin County and state of Pennsylvania
Coordinates:
Country
..... Click the link for more information.
Downtown Harrisburg and the Pennsylvania State Capitol, as seen from the Susquehanna River
Seal
Location in Dauphin County and state of Pennsylvania
Coordinates:
Country
..... Click the link for more information.
State of New Jersey
Flag of New Jersey Seal
Nickname(s): Garden State[1]
Motto(s): Liberty and prosperity
Official language(s) English de facto
Capital Trenton
..... Click the link for more information.
Flag of New Jersey Seal
Nickname(s): Garden State[1]
Motto(s): Liberty and prosperity
Official language(s) English de facto
Capital Trenton
..... Click the link for more information.
This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.