The Cretaceous in Virginia, US

Paleontology and geology

Due to a rise in global sea level, a shallow sea covered most of eastern Virginia during the Cretaceous. By this time, Virginia had drifted away from the equator and conditions no longer supporting the formation of limestone. Deposition of sand and silt preserved both terrestrial fossils, such as Sequoia and marine fossils, including oysters, and belemnites. This map indicates the presence of Cretaceous rocks in the far north of the state.