| INTRODUCTION TO MOUNTAINS |
Mountains-
- A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, having steep sides .
Some Basic terms related to mountains-
Ridge-
- Ridge consists of series of mountains or hills in a chain formation and it is elevated long and narrow in shape .
Meadow-
- It is an open field demented by the vegetation of grass and other non-woody plants .
Cordillera-
- It is represented by several mountain ranges, mountain chains, systems and groups.
Valley -
- It is the low-lying land between the mountains or hills.
Classification of Mountains-
There are different ways of classifying mountains-
On the Basis of Location-
It is of Two types-
1.Continental mountains.
2.Oceanic mountains.
1.Continental mountains
- These are the mountains which are located on continental region of the earth.
It is further divided into Two parts-
A.Coastal mountains-
These are located on coastal regions of the continents.
Example-
- Applachians, Rockies.
- Alpine mountain chains.
- Western and Eastern Ghats of India etc.
B.Inland mountains
- These are mountains located in interior of the continent.
Example-
- Ural mountains (Russia).
- Himalayas, Aravallis.
- Satpura,Maikal,Kaimurs etc. (India).
- Kunlun, Tienshan, Altai (Asia).
- Black Forest block mountains (Europe) etc.
2.Oceanic mountains-
- These mountains are located in oceans.
- They are found on continental shelves, ocean floors and mid oceanic ridge systems.
Example-
- Mauna Kea volcanic mountain of Hawaii Island.
- If its height is considered from the sea bottom, its height becomes higher than the highest mountain, Mount Everest and Antilean mountain system.
Classification of mountains
On the Basis of Period of Origin
1.Pre-cambrian Mountains
- These mountains have been subjected to upheaval, denudation and metamorphism and at present they are present as residual mountains.
Examples-
- Anamalai and Nilgiri mountains in India .
- Laurentian mountains in Canada .
- Algoman mountains,. Kilarnean mountains etc. Of North America.
2.Caledonian mountains-
- They came into existence between approximately 430 and 380 million years ago I.e. during Silurian and Devonian periods.
Examples-
- Brazilides of South America.
- Aravallis, Mahadeo, Satpura etc. of India.
- Appalachians of North America etc.
3.Hercynian mountains-
They came into existence between approximately 350 and 250 million years ago I.e. Permian and Permocarboniferous periods.
Examples-
- Caucasus mountains in Europe.
- Altai, Tien Shan mountains of Asia.
- Ural Mountains in Russia etc.
4.Tertairy or Alpine mountain
These mountains are formed during Tertiary period.
They have rugged terrain and are the loftiest mountains .
Example-
- Rockies (North America).
- Andes (South America).
- Alpine mountain systems of Europe (Alps, Carpathians, Pyrenees, Balkans, Caucasus, Cantabrians, Appenines, Dinaric Alps etc.).
- Atlas mountains of north-west Africa.
- Himalayas and the mountains that were formed from Pamir Knot of Asia ( which includes mountains like Taurus, Pauntic, Zagros, Elburg, Kunlum etc.).
Classification On the Basis of Mode of Origin
1.Erosional Mountains-
These are the mountains that are formed due to erosion by process by agents like water,air ,glaciers etc.
They are also known as Residual mountains.
Examples-
- Girnar hills.
- Nilgiri hills.
- Mount Abu in Rajasthan.
- Sierra of Spainand Cincinati Dome in USA.
2.Volcanic mountains-
These type of mountains are formed due to volcanic activity on the surface of the earth.
Examples-
- Fuji Yama in Japan.
- Vesuvius in Italy.
- Mauna Loa.
- Mauna Kea in Hawai.
3.Fold Mountains-
- Fold Mountains mainly consist of uplifted folded sedimentary rocks.
- Horizontal compressional forces, acting on the huge pile of deposited sedimentary rocks in the oceanic basin for millions of years, causes folding of rocks.
- The collision of continental plates cause uplifting and folding of crust and result in the formation of mountains. Since the mountains are folded in nature, they are also known as diastrophic mountains.
The process called orogeny leads to the formation of the fold mountains.
They are further divided into Three parts-
A.Young fold mountains-
- They are formed recently (a time period of 25 to 10 million years ago).
- They are characterised by a complex folding and faulting system. Erosion and weathering on these mountains are caused by running water, ice, winds, etc..
Example-
- Himalayan(Asia).
- Alps(Europe).
- Andes(South America).
- Rockies (North America).
B. Old Fold Mountains-
- These are very ancient mountains of more than 200 millions years old.
- Due to erosion and weathering the height of these mountains have decreased a bit.
Example-
- The Appalachians in North America.
- The Urals in Russia.
C.Residual Fold mountains-
These type of mountains are very old and have less height due to erosion and weathering.
Example-
- Arravali hills of India.
4.Block mountains-
- These type of mountains are formed due to diverging forces on earth surface.
- Due to divergence of earth plates there are formation of Horst and Grabon.
- There is the uplifted blocks which are called horsts and there is the lowered blocks which are termed as graben.
Cause-
- Major cause of formation of these mountains are faulting due to divergence of continental plates on earth.
Rift valley-
- The Fault discussed above is called as Rift valley having steep walls on its borders.
Example-
- The East African Rift valley.
- Rift valley of The Narmada in India.
- The Rhine valley and the Vosges mountain in Europe.
Important One Liners related to Mountains
What is a mountain?
Answer: A mountain is a landform that rises above its surroundings and has a peak or summit.
What is a volcanic mountain?
Answer: A volcanic mountain is a mountain that forms when molten rock (magma) from the Earth's mantle erupts through the Earth's crust.
What is a fold mountain?
Answer: A fold mountain is a mountain that forms when two tectonic plates collide and push up the Earth's crust, causing it to fold and buckle.
What is a block mountain?
Answer: A block mountain is a mountain that forms when a block of the Earth's crust is uplifted and moved along a fault line.
What is the highest mountain in the world?
Answer: Mount Everest, located in the Himalayas, is the highest mountain in the world.
What is the second-highest mountain in the world?
Answer: K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen, is the second-highest mountain in the world.
What is the longest mountain range in the world?
Answer: The Andes, located in South America, is the longest mountain range in the world, stretching over 7,000 kilometers.
What is a mountain range?
Answer: A mountain range is a series of mountains that are connected by high ground.
What is a mountain pass?
Answer: A mountain pass is a low point in a mountain range that allows for easier travel through the mountains.
What is a peak?
Answer: A peak is the highest point on a mountain.
What is a summit?
Answer: A summit is the highest point on a mountain or hill.
What is a foothill?
Answer: A foothill is a low hill at the base of a mountain range.
What is a mountain belt?
Answer: A mountain belt is a region containing many parallel mountain ranges