Which Virginia region is most associated with coal deposits?

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

Answer: (D)

Coal deposits form from ancient swamp vegetation that becomes peat and, with burial and heat, turns into coal. In Virginia, the thick coal seams are found mainly in the Appalachian Plateau in the western part of the state. This region has extensive sedimentary rocks with flat-lying coal beds that have been mined for generations, making it the area most closely associated with coal deposits. The Blue Ridge and Piedmont are dominated by older metamorphic rocks and lack these large coal seams, while the Valley and Ridge area features folded Paleozoic sedimentary rocks but not the major coal fields the Appalachian Plateau holds. So the Appalachian Plateau is the region best tied to Virginia’s coal deposits.