Blue Ridge Center: Region

Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship

	Our Land
	Scientific & Natural Stewardship
	Flora & Fauna
	Geology
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Scientific and Natural Stewardship

GEOLOGY Blue Ridge Center Regional Map

The Blue Ridge
Region
BRCES Lands Close Up

REGION
The Blue Ridge Mountain's oldest rock is Proterozoic gneiss and igneous intrusives that have been intensively folded and faulted. As in many places along the Blue Ridge, this crushed and distorted older rock is thrust-faulted up and over younger rock.

Ancient layered bedrock outcrops can be seen in northern Virginia and on South Mountain in Maryland. Both the summit of South Mountain and the Blue Ridge of Virginia are composed mostly of quartzite and greenstone.

The ruggedness of this geology has helped preserve large parts of the region against 20th century urban sprawl, leaving the area's forested mountains mostly uninhabited, forested and available for preservation.

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