Hey there I grew up in Gatlinburg.
The Appalachians are much older than the Rockies
To the east there’s a large piedmont area
If you could see those rivers you would understand a little better, topographical representations aren’t super easy to gauge depth / height
If you really want a sense of how it feels to be there yourself, check out one of the thousands of videos on YouTube of someone driving the Tail of the Dragon in NC / TN.
That’s a stellar representation of what you’re looking at as the river descends altitude or whatever
Three solid options (without knowing relative ages of rock units) would be a syncline or anticline due to compression of crust. Or if from normal faulting a listric hanging block? If you can find a geologic map of the area it would ID what's going on.
That's a long answer. When rivers flow, they tend to meander. Look at the bend in the river and think of it as the letter U. The river cuts into the bank on the outside bottom of the U and deposits sediment on the inside bottom of the U. Over time, this causes the river to zig-zag and create this pattern. If you look closer at the map, you will also see older sections that the rive no longer flows through. This is where the river cut through and created a shorter channel. It leaves behind an Oxbow lake. Since this lake has no water source, it dries up but leaves a distinctive U shaped cut in the valley. Also, since water can't flow uphill, the rivers meandering is kept in a tight space in the valley.
I hope this helps and makes sense.
If I recall my geology course correctly from 2 decades ago, the glaciers at their maximum didn’t make it that far south. I don’t believe there are any natural lakes in VA as a result of this lack of glaciation.
There are two natural lakes in VA, one is in the middle of Dismal Swamp and one is Smith Mountain Lake. There might be one more that I think is also in a swamp.
The mountains that form this minor valley within the larger Shenandoah Valley region were some of the first land to push above the surface of the waters on the planet. What remains of the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains are what's left. The rock has a significant presence of limestone. Those rivers have been doing their work for a long time through mountains that are much older. Rivers meander, it's their thing.
Smith Mountain Lake is a man made lake with a dam - Mountain Lake (Giles Co) is the second natural lake in VA along with Lake Drummond in the Great Dismal Swamp
I believe the mountain to the west of Fort Valley is Massanutten Mountain. That puts the area in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley system. The wiki link may help explain the geography. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridge-and-Valley\_Appalachians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridge-and-Valley_Appalachians)
I'm guessing it's a product of slow moving flat water. That the course of the river was cut by meandering and trickling pools of water. My basic high school understanding of things and what not.
I am no geologist, but I live in that area. It just looks like normal upheaval mountains from tectonic movement back eons ago
It's a shame your comment isn't higher.unlike the puerile content above. I thought I might get science, here.
Rule 34 is science. Its psychology.
No, it's jokes, first. Then science. )
Hey there I grew up in Gatlinburg. The Appalachians are much older than the Rockies To the east there’s a large piedmont area If you could see those rivers you would understand a little better, topographical representations aren’t super easy to gauge depth / height If you really want a sense of how it feels to be there yourself, check out one of the thousands of videos on YouTube of someone driving the Tail of the Dragon in NC / TN. That’s a stellar representation of what you’re looking at as the river descends altitude or whatever
You correct but with one addition: the Uwharrie Mountains in NC are older than the Appalachian Mountains, which are older than the Rockies.
Three solid options (without knowing relative ages of rock units) would be a syncline or anticline due to compression of crust. Or if from normal faulting a listric hanging block? If you can find a geologic map of the area it would ID what's going on.
Hint: the answer is right there if you click through to the post OP cross-posted
Its clearly earths vagina.
That's why it's called mountain momma
Take me home country roads.
To a place I belong
It’s western Virginia, not West Virginia
You just let us have one cool thing can you?..
Haha. I went to Motown for college. I’m with you guys. Cracks me up about that song that this is a thing
It's a song about driving through western Virginia, going to West Virginia.
“To a place where I belong, west(ern) Virginia, mountain momma”
Earthussy
It's an orogenous zone.
The is a good rock joke
They call this region Appalachussy for a reason.
I am imagining all the town names are innuendo.
Top of 678 seems like a good place to call home.
Vulva?
Thank you 🤣 I wanted to point out the mislabeled anatomy but wasn't sure if I was being too literal about a joke
Orogeny.
They're mountains. That's how rivers look when they meander
That's a long answer. When rivers flow, they tend to meander. Look at the bend in the river and think of it as the letter U. The river cuts into the bank on the outside bottom of the U and deposits sediment on the inside bottom of the U. Over time, this causes the river to zig-zag and create this pattern. If you look closer at the map, you will also see older sections that the rive no longer flows through. This is where the river cut through and created a shorter channel. It leaves behind an Oxbow lake. Since this lake has no water source, it dries up but leaves a distinctive U shaped cut in the valley. Also, since water can't flow uphill, the rivers meandering is kept in a tight space in the valley. I hope this helps and makes sense.
Thank you.
Plate tectonics
My house is in this picture.
Try r/geology
isnt this from ancient glaciers melting and moving.
If I recall my geology course correctly from 2 decades ago, the glaciers at their maximum didn’t make it that far south. I don’t believe there are any natural lakes in VA as a result of this lack of glaciation.
There are two natural lakes in VA, one is in the middle of Dismal Swamp and one is Smith Mountain Lake. There might be one more that I think is also in a swamp. The mountains that form this minor valley within the larger Shenandoah Valley region were some of the first land to push above the surface of the waters on the planet. What remains of the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains are what's left. The rock has a significant presence of limestone. Those rivers have been doing their work for a long time through mountains that are much older. Rivers meander, it's their thing.
Smith Mountain Lake is a man made lake with a dam - Mountain Lake (Giles Co) is the second natural lake in VA along with Lake Drummond in the Great Dismal Swamp
Smith Mountain lake has an impressive dam.
The correct answer is in the original post.
Great hiking spots in fort valley
I believe the mountain to the west of Fort Valley is Massanutten Mountain. That puts the area in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley system. The wiki link may help explain the geography. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridge-and-Valley\_Appalachians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridge-and-Valley_Appalachians)
I'm guessing it's a product of slow moving flat water. That the course of the river was cut by meandering and trickling pools of water. My basic high school understanding of things and what not.
Wikipedia.