Geology of Pennsylvania - Ridge and Valley

Ridge and Valley

A region in Pennsylvania made famous by NASA's LANDSAT images. This province is the second largest in the state and is home to the famous anthracite fields. The rocks here are severely folded and contain numerous anticlines and synclines that plunge and fold back over each other. There are numerous thrust faults that help create a chaotic mess. Most of the deformation is result of continent to continent collision during the Alleghenian orogeny. There are seven distinct regions of the province and they are listed below. Much of the drainage patterns in the province is trellis.