The art of the geology of Georgia is a painting I completed this week. It’s an acrylic painting of the geologic map of Georgia. I painted it on a wood board, 10 1/4 inches x 8 1/2 inches that was cut in the shape of the state. I purchased it at a local gift shop.

I used several reference maps of the geology of Georgia. I’ve lived in Georgia for 50 years, and have taught courses and led students (K – graduate school) on field trips to all of the Geologic areas of the state. Fossil and rock collecting have been a part of my experience to paint the geologic map of the state. If you want to find fossils in Georgia, check out the Valley and Ridge, or the Coastal Plain. Likewise, traveling to different regions of the country also played a role. New England and Colorado come to mind as having a great influence on my understanding of geology.

I was inspired to paint the geologic map when I first saw the piece of wood cut to the outline of the state.

The Map that changed the World

I’m also reminded that the first geologic map was made by William “Strata” Smith, and engineer who had traveled for work around England. He worked on the map for years. Because of personal problems, a group stole and published his original painting. Later, after he got out of jail, and was working on a farm in Lincolnshire, the owner found out who he was and made it possible for Smith to be recognized as the “man who made the first geologic map.”  He was also known as the “father of geology.”

The geology of Georgia consists of four geologic regions.  For example, starting in the northwest corner of the state and traveling down I-75 South to Macon and then east to Savannah and south from there along Georgia’s barrier islands. The regions that you will drive through starting near Chattanooga are these: the Valley and Ridge region, also known as the Appalachian Plateau; the Blue Ridge; the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain.

Appalachian Plateau or Valley and Ridge Geology

The rocks in the northwest part of the state, painted in blue and tones of violet are part of the Appalachian Plateau. The rocks are sedimentary. In Georgia, the Valley and Ridge includes limestone, sandstone, shale and other sedimentary rocks, which have yielded construction-grade limestone, barite, ochre and small amounts of coal.This also known as the ridge and valley part of the Appalachian mountains that extend from Alabama to New Hampshire.

Blue Ridge

South and adjacent to the Plateau are rocks from the Blue Ridge Mountains that extend northeast into North Carolina.  The Blue Ridge consists of metamorphic rocks, as well as metavolcanic rocks of the Georgia Gold Belt. Marble and talc are also mined in the Blue Ridge.

The Piedmont

The large violet part of the map is called the Piedmont. The Piedmont is composed of metamorphic (gneiss, schist, and slate), and igneous rocks (granite). It is located between the Blue Ridge and the Upper Coastal Plain. The Piedmont is noted for Stone Mountain, and Kennesaw Mountain.

The Coastal Plain

The coastal plain lies below the Piedmont and extends south and east to the Gulf Coast, and the Atlantic. Coastal plain extends into South Carolina and then to North Carolina.

The Fall Line

The coast plain is separated from the Piedmont by the Fall Line, which is line that runs from Columbus in the southwest, and extends through Macon and then onto Augusta. The elevation “falls” along this line where igneous and metamorphic rocks meet sedimentary rocks of the coastal plain.  The coastal plain consists of sediments deposited during the Late Cretaceous to Holocene periods.  Some rocks contain marine and terrestrial fossils, and some dinosaur fragments.  Above all, the major mineral resource in the Coastal Plain is kaolin.

Barrier Islands of Georgia

Along the coast are a series of 14 barrier islands.  These are unique coastal landforms that are dune systems that have been formed by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland.  Many of these islands are only accessible by bridges; some by boat.

In conclusion, here is the acrylic painting of the geologic map of Georgia. I hope you enjoy it.