How would a geologist describe Pennsylvania’s landscape?
Pennsylvania’s landscape is as varied as any state, as a result of the diverse geology across the state. It presents enough variety that geologists divide the state into six areas known as physiographic provinces. Even though Pennsylvania is the 33rd largest state in land area, it has more physiographic provinces than any state except New York, which has eight. The Atlantic Coastal Plain covers the southeastern parts of Philadelphia, Bucks, and Delaware Counties. Beyond Pennsylvania, it extends from Massachusetts to Florida. It is an area of flat land and sandy soil. The sand was deposited by rivers as a result of extensive erosion of land to the west. The Delaware River reaches sea level in this province, marking the lowest elevation in the state. The Piedmont takes in the remainder of three counties mentioned above and extends inland to encompass Montgomery, Chester, Lancaster, and York Counties and parts of several others, including most of Adams. Most of the rocks are metamorphic a
