Introduction

The bedrock geology of the Blue Ridge in central Virginia has been the subject of numerous studies for over a century. The Proterozoic and Paleozoic history of the Blue Ridge has been interpreted on the basis of the bedrock evidence. However, there is no comparable preserved record of post-Paleozoic rocks available for interpretation of Mesozoic and Cenozoic history. Knowledge about the late Cenozoic history of the region, including the processes responsible for the development of the present landscape is much more problematic and speculative.

The spatial data contained in this report encompasses the Shenandoah National Park and surrounding Blue Ridge from Front Royal to Waynesboro, Virginia. The study provides a portrait of the physiography and principal bedrock formations, and describes the large colluvial and alluvial deposits in the region that are of Quaternary age. The synthesis of the compiled data of these deposits in conjunction with related research, including pollen, isotopic and fission track studies from soils, regolith, and bedrock will help establish the history of the Pleistocene and Holocene landscape development of the Blue Ridge.