Geology of Appalachia
Why is Appalachia so Unique?
The Appalachian Mountains are a unique geological mountain belt located in the eastern United States. They are as old as 480 million years old, and can be found in 13 different states. The mountains are about 1,860 miles long and stretch as far north as New York and as far south as Alabama. This 1,860 mile region is called Appalachia, and the residents Appalachians.
Appalachia is a unique and impactful region. Known by many for its isolation, historical influence, and resources. But in geological history, the mountain's impact goes much, much further.
Formation of the Appalachian Mountains
Beginning in the Paleozoic era, around 470 million years ago, contients were moving. Plates were crashing into one another, pulling apart, and shifting. This is called contiental drift. At the time, two contients were moving away from each other: the North American plate and the African plate. As these plates pulled apart, they moved a large amount of mass with it; much like a bulldozer.The North American plate began to create large mountain ranges overtime. These mountains became the Appalachian Mountains.
Rock Types in Appalachia
The Appalachian mountains are made up of mostly sedimentary rocks that deposited during the late Paleozoic. Shales, sandstones, and conglomerates can be found within the Appalachian Plateau and the Valley and Ridge Province. These two areas are called the Sedimentary Appalachians. To the south, in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Piedmont, the rock units are structurall different. They are remnants of metamorphic rocks, or rocks that were subjected to high heat and pressure. This section is called the Crystalline Appalachians.
Mining of Coal in Appalachia
Within the sedimentary rock layers of the Appalachias, beds of coal can be found. It wasn't until millions of years later in colonial America that these coal beds were discovered. In the early 1800s, settlers in the region discovered this coal burned much better than charcoal. With the rise of new technologies during the Industrial Revolution, companies flocked to Appalachia to harvest this effective energy source.
Coal mining gave a reliable souce of income and opportunity to people living in Appalachia. Many in Appalachia during this time were stricken with poverty, and lacked the educational means for higher paying jobs. Coal mining gave workers a decent wage. But with stability, there were downsides to the work.
Coal mining was a dangerous job. As coal companies mined deeper for more resources, more problems arised. Frequent disasters included flooding of the mines, toxic gas fumes, and explosions. Many miners could become trapped within the mines from cave-ins.
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