New River (Kanawha River) - Geology

Geology

Despite its name, the New River is considered by some geologists to be one of the oldest rivers in the world, between 250 million and 360 million years old. The river is sometimes said to be second in age only to the Nile River and thus the oldest in North America. The New River flows in a generally south-to-north course, against the southwest-to-northeast topography and geological texture of the Appalachian Mountains, contrasting with the west-to-east flow of most other nearby major rivers in Virginia and North Carolina. This peculiar direction, together with the river's many cuts through various erosion-resistant Appalachian rocks, may mean that the New River's formation preceded uplift of the Appalachian Mountains themselves.