The faulting and folding of the Ouachita Province occurred at the same time as the deformation of the Appalachian Valley and Ridge, and is most like a result of the same mountain building event. The rocks of the Ouachita are dominantly sandstones, shales, and novaculite. Novaculite is a fine-grained quartz rock that is almost entirely pure silicon dioxide and is a valuable resource in whetstone production.

Hot Springs National Park is a collection of forty-seven springs that gush up to a million gallons of mineral water a day, at an average temperature of 62 degres Celsius (143 degrees fahrenheit). The springs are famous for their medicinal purposes and the area was designated as a national park in 1921.

In addition to the novaculite, the Ouachita Province is also mined for coal and aluminum ore, from the mineral bauxite. - US NPS