Geologic Tour of the Blue Ridge Escarpment

This is a geologic tour of the Blue Ridge Escarpment in North Carolina including stops at Grandfather Mountain, Linville Falls, Chimney Rock, and Stone Mountain. This video was made by Max Garvue for the Virginia Tech 2023 geosciences Senior Seminar class taught by Jim Spotila.

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction to the Blue Ridge Escarpment
2:09 Grandfather Mountain Window
3:28 Stop 1: Blowing Rock Gneiss
5:52 Stop 2: Grandfather Mountain
6:57 Stop 3: Grandfather Mountain
8:07 Hang Glide to Virginia Tech
9:34 Stop 4: Linville Falls
11:53 Stop 5: Chimney Rock
14:04 Stop 6: Stone Mountain
16:09 Geomorphology and evolution of the Blue Ridge Escarpment
18:39 Outro and Senior Seminar class pictures

Songs in order of appearance from the Youtube Audio Library:
On The Rocks - TrackTribe
Chromatic Rag - Mini Vandals
Weirder Stuff - Geographer
Shine Your Little Light - Mini Vandals
Sunday Drive - Silent Partner
Gunpowder Tea - Mini Vandals

Figure/photo attributions:
Rodinia figure: Terje Torsvik
Alluvial fan photo: wikipedia
Bear photo: Caitlin Couch
Skolithos image: wikipedia
Stone mountain granodiorite image: wikipedia
All other photos and videos were taken by the TA's for this video or do not need attribution and are from websites like pexels or pixabay

[davescott]

A main course of geomorphology, a side helping of nuanced humor and craftily drizzled with a glaze of great music. Wow!

[mattheweisley]

That ridge-top eyesore is not a hotel. It's a condo building called Sugar Top on nearby Sugar Mountain. A visual blight for sure. It inspired a state law limiting the height of buildings on NC mountain ridges.

[enlilannunaki]

Really really nice job! Great 3D graphics really helped visualize what you were trying to convey.
If you are planning on doing more of these in the future my only advice would be to slow down your presentation speed. For those of us without significant background knowledge we need a few seconds to process each fact or concept being presented.
Appreciate very much your work on this! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[billy_g_]

Great info! I was just hiking Grandfather Mountain a few weekends ago and got annoyed by the very same hotel at 7:53

[johnbirkhimer]

Very well done. You got to the important stuff and covered it in an entertaining, yet understandable and factual way.

[syork]

Great job! You taught me a lot about the geology of this region.

[danacopeland]

Excellent review. Comprehensive, accurate, and clearly articulated.

[timothyhosek]

I read somewhere that the Appalachian mountains were way older than the rockies and they are older than the alps they're just worn down by erosion.and plate tectonics. If true that's awesome

[judischarns]

That same hang glider was later killed hanging gliding from Grandfather Mountain. Shortly after that the hang gliding competitions at Grandfather were permanently cancelled. Thanks for a very informative video. I live in this area and have wanted a deeper understanding of the formations around me.

[rastan]

Well there you go, I've never heard of the Great Escarpment here in Australia. I just assumed it was all the Great Dividing Range. But there you go, I came here to learn something about geology of the Appalachians. But I click away learning about the Appalachians, but also something of my own country.

[timothyconover]

The "Blue Wall" section viewed from Traveler's Rest SC is an impressive escarpment. Truly looks like a wall.

[cacambo]

Hey Amanda. Nice to see a fresh face doing science. Good luck.

[raycooper]

Tryon, NC is the most charming small town at the base of the escarpment. The towns south border is the SC state border. In Tryon see the historical home of Nina Simone

[jayroc]

Sheldon says that geology is not a real science. Bazinga!

[KathrynHaugan]

Thanks...good information well presented.

[holyworrier]

Good fun, if you've got 'rocks in your head'... which I do.

[dennistate]

Lotta hangliders round here (Chattanooga area) they tell the GF Mtn story too. I was impressed when Chris Palmgren made a 6m SSB convo back to here from there.

[GranthamShaw]

I've stayed at the mountain top Condo's on Sugar Mountain, quick access to the Ski Slopes. There's another eyesore in Boone NC, called the Broyhill wind turbine at Appalachian State which was installed in June 2009.

[dennistate]

My dog & i have that very uniform! Reunite Pangea!❤

[juliamacdonald]

Absolutely love this. What a high quality video.