West Virginia Coal

Mining Area
GEOG A111 Regions Assignment
Fall 2014

Task 1: Location

Source: Google Earth Satellite Imagery

Task 1: Map No. 2

Source: http://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/faq/faq.htm

Task 1: Map No. 3

Source: http://www.wvhighlands.org/Pages/Maps_S_Coal.html

Task 2: Temperature and Precipitation

West Virginia is located at about 39 N and 80.5 W,

which, according to the textbook, means that there is

about a 6 hour difference in daylight between winter,
which receives about 9 hours of daylight, and summer,
which receives about 15 hours of daylight.
West Virginia receives insolation at an angle of about

28 during the winter, 52 during the spring and autumn,

and 76 during the summer.
This indicates that the West Virginia mining area

receives the most direct and most hours of insolation

during the summer months and the least direct and least
hours during the winter months.
Source 1: Google Earth Satellite Imagery
Source 2: http://solarelectricityhandbook.com/solar-angle-calculator.html

Task 2: Temperature and Precipitation

The two cities I have made climographs for represent the

northern region of the West Virginia mining area and the

central/southeastern region of the area. The image
below shows the distance between the two cities. The
red pin represents Wheeling, WV and the green pin
represents Charleston, WV. They are roughly 127 miles
apart.

Source: Google Earth Satellite Imagery

Task 2a & 2b: Climograph

Wheeling, WV, Climograph
90

80

70

40

30
2
20
1

10

Source: http://goo.gl/JLQUvy

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

0
February

Precipitation (In.)

50

January

Temperature (F)

5
60

Precipitation
Normal Max
Normal Min

Task 2a & 2b: Climograph

Charleston, WV, Climograph
90

80

70

40

30
2
20
1

10

Source: http://goo.gl/7QrN3N

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

0
February

Precipitation (In.)

50

January

Temperature (F)

5
60

Precipitation

Normal Max
Normal Min

Task 3: Atmospheric Disturbances

The West Virginia coal mining area experiences

orographic precipitation because it is on the western

side of the Appalachians. This means that the
windward air masses going from a low elevation
within West Virginia to a higher elevation up over
the Appalachians creates high levels of precipitation
over the West Virginia mining areas, as opposed to
the orographic rain-shadow effect on the eastern
side of the Appalachians. The high levels of
precipitation and the location of the Appalachians
often cause flooding in the area.
Source: http://goo.gl/t4dQ11

Task 4: Evapotranspiration &

Precipitation
Based on the precipitation levels, average

temperatures within West Virginia, and the

precipitation and evaporation maps below it
appears that the West Virginia coal mining area
typically has a surplus of most of, if not the entire
year. On the maps below it is shown that the
average annual precipitation in the coal mining area
is usually between 40 and 52, while the evaporation
is only at 30, which leaves a surplus of water within
the soil.

Task 4: Mean Annual Precipitation

Source: http://goo.gl/68AXwj

Task 4: Mean Annual Evaporation

Source: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hdsc/Technical_reports/TR33.pdf

Task 5: Climate Classification

The climate within the West Virginia mining area is

moist year-round because of maritime winds that

travel up from the Carolinas.
Based on the climographs from task 2, I would

classify the West Virginia mining area as a humid

subtropical climate because of the year-round
precipitation and noticeable difference in
temperatures between winter and summer months,
without winter being too cold.
As I mentioned before, the year-round orographic

precipitation is caused by the location of West

Virginia on the western side of the Appalachian
Mountains.

Task 6: Rock Types & Processes

Common rocks found in the West Virginia mining

are include: sandstone, shale, mudstone, limestone,

and coal, which are all sedimentary rocks. These
rocks are formed by breaking down existing rock,
moving the broken down pieces, usually by river or
glacial processes, depositing the pieces along
rivers, beaches and ocean sites, and buried to start
the rock forming process. This processes involves
lithification processes.
Igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks are not

commonly found in West Virginia.

Source 1: http://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/faq/faq.htm
Source 2: Elemental Geosystems Textbook

Task 6: Geologic Map

Source: http://goo.gl/cBKnY7

Task 7: Crust Formation

Based on the large numbers of sedimentary rocks

found within the coal mining areas of West Virginia,

as well as the presence of the Appalachian
Mountains to the east, it seems likely that the area
was deformed through folding. According to the
textbook, when rock is layered and flat and
subjected to compressional forces the rock deforms
into a fold.

Source: Elemental Geosystems Textbook

Task 8: Weathering & Mass Wasting

Based on the fact that West Virginia is made up

almost exclusively of sedimentary rock, it is highly

likely that the land of the West Virginia coal mining
area is affected by chemical weathering. The forms
of chemical weathering, hydrolysis and hydration,
cause rocks to break down and form sedimentary
rocks by using water either with a mineral or as a
chemical reaction to a mineral. Hydrolysis and
hydration are both likely because of the high levels
of precipitation in the area.

Source: Elemental Geosystems Textbook

Task 9: Fluvial Landforms

The West Virginia coal mining area sits in a well

dissected drainage basin because of its location

next to the Appalachian Mountains. There are also
multiple watersheds in the area that contribute to
Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

Source: http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Pages/Watersheds.aspx

Task 10: Landform Processes

The West Virginia coal mining area is mainly in the

southern portion of the state and runs up through

the middle of the state toward the north. The state is
made up of Appalachian ridges, valleys, and
plateaus, and is generally a very rugged land.

Task 10c: Periglacial Landscape

The West Virginia coal mining area was not covered

in glacial ice during the last ice age, but did

experience a drop in temperature from close
proximity to nearby glaciers. This caused the
patterns of stream drainage to be altered and likely
created the Ohio River drainage system that exists
today. There was also a glacial lake formed by ice
that was left behind, which caused sandy and silty
soils in northern areas of West Virginia.

Source: http://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/faq/faqgl.htm

Task 11: Soil Regimes

The coal mining area of West Virginia is comprised

of alfisol and ultisol soils. I determined that the soils

are alfisols and ultisols because the area is a humid
subtropical climate and is affected by both
continentality and maritime climate. This means that
in areas with alfisol soil the land is more fertile than
in the areas with ultisol soil because ultisols have
more mineral alteration and eluvial leaching than
alfisols. The high precipitation is causes moderate
to high eluviation, which is what determines the
productivity of the soil.

Task 12: Plant & Animal Regimes

The West Virginia coal mining area is a midlatitude

broadleaf and mixed forest biome. This means that

there is lush plant life that is mostly comprised of
principal evergreens, beech trees, aspen, white
ash, oak, walnut, and many others. Some animals
that can be found in this biome include red fox,
deer, squirrels, bear, and many bird species.

Source: Elemental Geosystems Textbook

References

Task 1
Reference #1: West Virginia. 384339.13 N and
800817.26 W. Google Earth. April 9, 2013. October 1, 2014.
Reference #2: "WVGES Frequently Asked Questions."
WVGES Frequently Asked Questions. Web. 3 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/faq/faq.htm>.
Reference #3: "MAP ARCHIVE." WV Surface Mining Maps.
Web. 3 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.wvhighlands.org/Pages/Maps_S_Coal.html>.

Task 2

Reference #1: "Solar Angle Calculator." Solar Electricity

Handbook. Web. 3 Oct. 2014. <http://

solarelectricityhandbook.com/solar-angle-calculator.html>.
Reference #2: West Virginia. 385022.60 N and
795637.72 W. Google Earth. April 9, 2013. October 1, 2014.
Reference #3: "Temperature - Precipitation - Sunshine -

Snowfall." Climate Wheeling. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

<http://goo.gl/JLQUvy>.
Reference #4: "Temperature - Precipitation - Sunshine - Snowfall."
Climate Charleston. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://goo.gl/7QrN3N>.

References

Task 3
Reference #1: "March-April 2011." Weatherwise Magazine
--. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://goo.gl/t4dQ11>.

Task 4
Reference #1: "March-April 2011." Weatherwise Magazine
--. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://goo.gl/68AXwj>.
Reference #2: "Evaporation Atlas for the 48 Contiguous
United States." Department of Commerce. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hdsc/Technical_reports/TR33.pdf>.

Task 6
Reference #1: "WVGES Frequently Asked Questions."
WVGES Frequently Asked Questions. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/faq/faq.htm>.

Reference #2: Christopherson, Robert W. Elemental

Geosystems. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall ;,
2000. Print.
Reference #3: "Geologic Map of West Virginia." State

of West Virginia Geologic and Economic Survey. Web. 17

Nov. 2014. <http://goo.gl/cBKnY7>.

References

Task 7
Reference #1: Christopherson, Robert W. Elemental
Geosystems. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall ;, 2000.
Print.

Task 8
Reference #1: Christopherson, Robert W. Elemental
Geosystems. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall ;, 2000.
Print.

Task 9
Reference #1: " West Virginia Watersheds." West
Virginia Watersheds. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Pages/Watersheds
.aspx>.

Task 10
Reference #1: "WVGES Frequently Asked
Questions." WVGES Frequently Asked Questions. Web. 23 Nov.
2014. <http://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/faq/faq.htm>.

Task 12
Reference #1: Christopherson, Robert W. Elemental
Geosystems. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall ;, 2000.
Print.