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The Appalachian Mountains began to form 460 million years ago with the collision of tectonic plates, and finished their uplift around 230 million years ago. [11] During the Last Ice Age, ice covered much of northern North America, but the southern Appalachians remained ice-free. [7]
As Pangea rifted apart a new passive tectonic margin was born, and the forces that created the Appalachian, Ouachita, and Marathon Mountains were stilled. Weathering and erosion prevailed, and the mountains began to wear away. [10] By the end of the Mesozoic, the Appalachian Mountains had been eroded to an almost-flat plain. [10]
In winter, North Carolina is somewhat protected by the Appalachian Mountains to the west. Cold fronts from Canada are typically reduced in intensity by the mountains. However, occasionally cold air can move from the north or northeast, east of the Appalachian Mountains, from Arctic high pressure systems that settle over the Northeastern or New ...
The western part of the contiguous United States west of the 98th meridian, the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, the Willamette Valley, and the Sierra Nevada range are the wetter portions of the nation, with average rainfall exceeding 30 inches (760 mm) per year. The drier areas are the Desert Southwest, Great Basin, valleys of northeast ...
Climate change has also affected the region, causing more frequent and severe weather events, shifts in precipitation patterns, and changes in seasonal events. While Appalachia is known for its abundant water resources, water scarcity is a concern in some areas, especially during droughts, which can be worsened by climate change and industrial ...
The mountain top removal method of coal mining, in which entire mountain tops are removed, is currently threatening vast areas and ecosystems of the Appalachian Mountain region. [31] The surface coal mining that started in the 1940s has significantly impacted the central Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky , Tennessee , Virginia and West Virginia.
The state's average annual temperature is 64 °F (18 °C). Temperatures tend to be warmer in the state's southern portion with its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, while its northern portions, especially in the Appalachian Mountains in the northeast, tend to be slightly cooler. [2]
Most of West Virginia lies within the Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests ecoregion, while the higher elevations along the eastern border and in the panhandle lie within the Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests. [1] West Virginia is situated in the Appalachian Mountains of the Upper South region of the 48 contiguous states.