Geomorphology

50 What is Mountain, Different Mysterious Mountain Systems exists on the Earth

What is Mountain?

A mountain is an elevated portion of the earth’s crust, ordinarily with steep sides that demonstrate a significantly exposed cornerstone. A mountain differs from a plateau in a limited summit area and is larger than a hill, which usually rises at least 300 meters (1,000 ft) above the surrounding land. Some mountains have individual summits, but most are found in mountain ranges. Mountains, landforms that rise prominently above their surroundings, generally exhibit steep slopes, a relatively limited summit area, and considerable local relief. Mountains are generally understood to be larger than hills, but the term has no standardized geological meaning.

Very few mountains are individual. In most cases, they are found in elongated ranges or chains. When a series of such ranges are joined together, it forms a mountain belt. Mountains are formed through tectonic forces, erosion, or volcanism, which act on time scales of up to millions of years. Once mountain formation ceases, the mountains are gradually leveled through the action of weathering, along slopes and other forms of mass waste, as well as erosion by rivers and glaciers. A mountain belt is several tens to hundreds of kilometers wide and hundreds to thousands of kilometers long.

It stands above the surrounding surface, which may be a coastal plain along the western Andes in northern Chile or a higher plateau within and within the Tibetan Plateau in southwest China. Mountain ranges or ranges extend for a length of tens to hundreds of kilometers. Individual mountains are connected by ridges and separated by valleys. Within many mountains, the belts are plateaus, which stand high but have little relief. Thus, for example, the Andes form a mountain belt that borders the entire west coast of South America; Within it are two distinct ranges, such as the Cordillera Blanca containing the highest peak in Peru, the Huascarán, and the Altiplano, the high plateau in southern Peru and western Bolivia.

Higher altitudes on the mountains produce a cooler climate than at sea level at the same latitudes. These cold climates greatly affect the ecosystem of the mountains: there are different plants and animals at different altitudes. Due to the less hospitable terrain and climate, the mountains are used less for agriculture and more for resource extraction, such as mining and logging, along with recreation, such as mountain climbing and skiing. The highest mountain on Earth is Mount Everest in the Himalayas of Asia, whose summit is 8,850 meters (29,035 ft) above sea level. The tallest known mountain on any planet in the Solar System is Olympus Mons on Mars at 21,171 m (69,459 ft).

There is no universally accepted definition of a mountain. Height, volume, relief, steepness, distance, and continuity have been used as criteria to define a mountain. In the Oxford English Dictionary, a mountain is defined as “a natural elevation of the earth’s surface that is rising and gaining height more or less abruptly than the surrounding level, which is impressive or relative to a relatively adjacent height. is noted.” Whether a landform is called a mountain or not may depend on local use. Mount Scott outside Lawton, Oklahoma, United States, is only 251 meters (823 ft) from its base to its highest point. 

Dictionary of Physical Geography states, “Some authorities consider elevations above 600 meters (1,969 ft) to be mountains, referred to below as hills.” In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a mountain is usually defined as any peak at least 2,000 feet (610 m) high, consistent with the official UK government definition of a mountain, for purposes of access. For, there is a peak. 2,000 feet (610 m) or more.

In addition, some definitions also include the requirement for a topographic prominence, such as a mountain rising 300 meters (984 ft) above the surrounding terrain. The US Board on Geographic Names at one time defined a mountain as 1,000 feet (305 m) or more, but has dropped the definition since the 1970s. Any similar landform below this height was considered hilly. However, today, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has concluded that these terms do not have a technical definition in the US and other countries.

The UN Environmental Programme‘s definition of “mountainous environment” includes any of the following:

  • Class 1: Elevation greater than 4,500 m (14,764 ft).
  • Class 2: Elevation between 3,500 m (11,483 ft) and 4,500 m (14,764 ft).
  • Class 3: Elevation between 2,500 m (8,202 ft) and 3,500 m (11,483 ft).
  • Class 4: Elevation between 1,500 m (4,921 ft) and 2,500 m (8,202 ft), with a slope greater than 2 degrees.
  • Class 5: Elevation between 1,000 m (3,281 ft) and 1,500 m (4,921 ft), with a slope greater than 5 degrees and/or 300 m (984 ft) elevation range within 7 km (4.3 mi).
  • Class 6: Elevation between 300 m (984 ft) and 1,000 m (3,281 ft), with a 300 m (984 ft) elevation range within 7 km (4.3 mi).
  • Class 7: Isolated inner basins and plateaus less than 25 km2 (9.7 sq mi) in areas that are surrounded by Class 1 to 6 mountains, but do not themselves meet the criteria for Class 1 to 6 mountains.

Using these definitions, mountains cover 33% of Eurasia, 19% of South America, 24% of North America, and 14% of Africa. As a whole, 24% of the Earth’s landmass is mountainous.

What is Hill?

A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding area. It often has a distinct peak. The difference between a hill and a mountain is not clear and is largely subjective, but a hill is not universally considered as tall or as steep as a mountain. Geographers historically regarded mountains as hills more than 1,000 feet (304.8 m) above sea level, which formed the basis for the plot of the 1995 film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Come Down a Mountain.

In contrast, hillwalkers consider the mountains to be peaks 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level: the Oxford English Dictionary also suggests a range of 2,000 feet (610 m) and Whitton states “some officials have reached 600 meters (600 m). 1,969 ft.) as mountains, which are called mountains below.” Today, a mountain is usually defined in the UK and Ireland as any peak at least 2,000 ft or 610 m high, while the official UK government definition of a mountain is a summit of 600 m (1,969 ft) or higher.

Is Some definitions include a requirement for topographic prominence, typically 100 feet (30.5 m) or 500 feet (152.4 m). In practice, mountains in Scotland are often referred to as “hills”, regardless of their height, as reflected in names such as the Cuillin Hills and Torridon Hills. In Wales, the distinction is a term of land use and presence and has nothing to do with altitude. For some time, the U.S. defined a mountain as 1,000 feet (304.8 m) or higher. Any similar landform below this height was considered hilly. However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has concluded that these terms are used in the U.S. do not have a technical definition. A hill is a small hill.

Other words include knoll and its variants (in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England), know. Artificial hills may be referred to defined by a variety of technical names describe, including mounds and tumulus. Hills can be formed through geomorphological events: faults, erosion of large landforms, such as mountains, and movement and deposition of sediments by glaciers (especially those exposed to moraine and drumlins or solid rock from erosion which then turns into a hill). 

The rounded peaks of hills are a consequence of the tectonic motion variation of the hill-covering soil and regolith, a process known as downhill creeps. Different names can be used to describe the types of hills depending on the form and method of construction. Many such names originated in a geographic area, describing a type of mountainous formation for that area, although the names are often adopted by geologists and used in a wider geographical context. This includes:

  • Brae – Scots, Ulster, and North of England term for a hillside or brow of a hill.
  • Drumlin – an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial action.
  • Butte – an isolated hill with steep sides and a small flat top, formed by weathering.
  • Kuppe – a rounded hill or low mountain, typical of central Europe
  • Tor – a rock formation found on a hilltop; also used to refer to the hill, especially in South West England.
  • Puy – used especially in the Auvergne, France, to describe a conical volcanic hill.
  • Pingo – a mound of earth-covered ice found in the Arctic and Antarctica.

Differentiate between Mountain And Hill

MountainHill
A mountain is an elevated portion of the earth’s crust,Ordinarily with steep sides that demonstrate a significantly exposed cornerstone.
A mountain differs from a plateau in a limited summit area and is larger than a hill, which usually rises at least 300 meters (1,000 ft) above the surrounding land.Geographers historically regarded mountains as hills more than 1,000 feet (304.8 m) above sea level, which formed the basis for the plot of the 1995 film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Come Down a Mountain.
Once mountain formation ceases, the mountains are gradually leveled through the action of weathering, along slopes and other forms of mass waste, as well as erosion by rivers and glaciers.Hills can be formed through geomorphological events: faults, erosion of large landforms, such as mountains, and movement and deposition of sediments by glaciers (especially those exposed to moraine and drumlins or solid rock). from erosion which then turns into a hill).
A mountain belt is several tens to hundreds of kilometers wide and hundreds to thousands of kilometers long. It stands above the surrounding surface, which may be a coastal plain along the western Andes in northern Chile or a higher plateau within and within the Tibetan Plateau in southwest China.The rounded peaks of hills are the consequence of the tectonic motion variation of the hill-covering soil and regolith, a process known as downhill creeps.
Higher altitudes on the mountains produce a cooler climate than at sea level at the same latitudes. These cold climates greatly affect the ecosystem of the mountains: there are different plants and animals at different altitudes.Most of the hilly towns that fall under the sub-Himalayan area experience a high level of humidity and much annual rainfall throughout the year. The temperature varies between an average of a maximum of 20 °C and an average minimum of −0.5 °C or less. Most of the hilly towns (Darjeeling, Shimla, Gangtok, etc.)

Using GPS to Proof Mountain Status

With the availability of high-precision GPS equipment, some have taken to re-measure the British mountains in an attempt to reclassify previously named hills as mountains. For example, thak Moor in the northern Pennines in Cumbria was declared a mountain when amateur surveyors re-measured it twice to prove that it met the Ordnance Survey’s mountain height requirements.

Now we will describe the Surrey Mountains which are known by different names and they are known by their regional names in different countries, Mountains which are still formed young in the future and some are old and are getting erosion over time And they are flattening out as some Mountain Europe has gone. Now let’s see about the world-famous range which is famous for its geographical structure all over the world.

Himalaya Mountain

  • The Himalayas, or the Himalayas literally-(himá “snow”, ā-laya “dwelling”,) are mountains in Asia that separate the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. There are some of the highest peaks on earth in this range, including the tallest Mount Everest.(The Secret of the Himalayas: Ecology, Climate, And Geology)
  • More than 100 peaks over 7,200 m (23,600 feet) above sea level are located in the Himalayas. In contrast, the highest peak outside of Asia (​​Aconcagua in the Andes) is 6,961 m (22,838 feet) high.
  • The Himalayas border or span five countries: Bhutan, India, Nepal, China, and Pakistan. The sovereignty of this mountain range in Kashmir is disputed among India, Pakistan, and China.
  • The Himalayas border the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush mountains in the northwest, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the north, and the Indo-Ganga Plain in the south.
  • Some of the world’s major rivers, the Indus, Ganges, and Zangbo Brahmaputra, originate near the Himalayas. Their confluence basin has a population of approximately 600 million people; 53 million people live in the Himalayas.
  • The Himalayas deeply shaped the culture of South Asia and Tibet; many Himalayan peaks are sacred in Hinduism and Buddhism. Due to the subduction and uplift of the Indian plate under the Eurasian Plate, the Himalayas extend in a 2,400-km (1,500-mile) arc from west-northwest to east-southeast.
  • Its western anchorage, Nanga Parbat, is located south of the northernmost bend in the Indus River. Its eastern anchorage, Nanchabawa, is close to the west of the Yarlung Zangbo Bend. The width of the range varies from 350 kilometers (220 miles) in the west to 150 kilometers (93 miles) in the east.

Black Forest Mountain

  • Black Forest, Schwarzwald Germany, mountainous region, land of Baden-Württemberg (state), south-west Germany, source of Danube and Neckar rivers. It occupies an area of ​​2,320 square miles (6,009 sq km) and extends about 100 miles (160 km) northeast of Sackingen on the Upper Rhine river (on the Swiss border) to Durlach (east of Karlsruhe).
  • Its width varies from 10 to 25 miles. Structurally and topographically, it forms a counterpart to the Vosges, which lies to the west of the Rhine valley
  • The Black Forest descends abruptly into the Rhine plains but is more gentle in the east towards the Neckar and Nagold valleys.
  • The Black Forest is a mountainous region at an altitude of about 200 – 1,500 m above sea level, the highest point being the Feldberg (mountain area) at 1,493 m.
  • The region is known for its cuckoo clocks, clock making, skiing, and tourism.
  • Legend has it that they were inspired by the German Black Forest (Schwarzwald) – the magnificent mountains of Baden-Württemberg.
  • The Black Forest gets its name from the oppressive canopy of cypress trees that lie on the forest floor. The 1,493 m (4,898 ft) Feldberg in the Black Forest is the highest mountain in Baden-Württemberg and the highest mountain in Germany outside the Alps.
  • The local municipality of Feldberg is named after the mountain.

Andes Mountain

  • The Andes, Andes, or Andes (Cordillera de Los Andes) are the longest continental mountains in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The voyage is 6,999 kilometers (4,349 miles) long, 200 to 700 kilometers (124 to 435 miles) wide (the widest is between 18°S-20°S latitude), and the average altitude is about 4,000 meters (13,123 feet).
  • The Andes stretches from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Along their length, the Andes are divided into several mountains, separated by depressions in the middle.
  • The Andes are home to several plateaus-some of them are Quito, Bogota, Cali, Arequipa, Medellin, Bucaramanga, Sucre, Merida, El Alto, and La Paz The location of the city.
  • The plateau is the second-highest land in the world after the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. These mountains are divided into three main parts according to the climate: the tropical Andes, the Dry Andes, and the humid Andes.
  • The Andes are the highest mountains outside of Asia. The highest mountain outside Asia is Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, which is approximately 6,961 m (22,838 feet) above sea level. As the equator rises due to the rotation of the earth, Chimborazo in the Ecuadorian Andes is farther from the center of the earth than any other place on the surface of the earth.
  • The highest volcano in the world is located in the Andes, including Ojos del Salado on the border between Chile and Argentina, at an elevation of 6,893 m (22,615 ft). The Andes are also part of the American mountains.
  • The Cordillera Mountains consist of almost continuous mountain ranges, forming the western “trunks” of North America, Central America, South America, and Antarctica. The Andes can be divided into three parts: The South Andes are located in Argentina and Chile, and are located south of Lulaiaco.
  • Central Andes in Peru and Bolivia. The North Andes is located in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. In the northern part of the Andes, the independent Sierra Nevada Santa Marta Mountains are generally considered part of the Northern Andes.
  • The Leeward Antilles, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao are located in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela. They were previously thought to represent the northernmost underwater peaks of the Andes, but ongoing geological research shows that this simplification is unfair to the complex tectonic boundary between the South American and Caribbean plates.

Rocky Mountain

  • The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rocky Mountains, are the major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) from the northernmost tip of western Canada to New Mexico in the southwestern United States.
  • According to different definitions in Canada and the United States, its northern terminus is in the Terminal Mountains in northern British Columbia, south of the Riyadh River, east of the trench, or in the northeastern foothills of the Brooks Mountains / British Mountains, facing the Beaufort Sea.
  • The shoreline between the river and the Firth River stretches through the Alaska-Yukon region. Its southernmost point is near the Albuquerque region, adjacent to the Rio Grande Basin and north of the Sandia-Manzano Mountains.
  • As the easternmost part of the Cordillera Mountains in North America, the Rocky Mountains are very different from the Young Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains further west.
  • The Rocky Mountains have formed during the Lalamide orogenic movement 80 to 55 million years ago, and many plates began to slide under the North American plates. The diving angle is very shallow, resulting in a wide range of mountains in western North America. Since then, increased tectonic activity and glacier erosion have turned the Rocky Mountains into spectacular peaks and valleys.
  • At the end of the last ice age, humans began living in the mountains. After Europeans (such as Sir Alexander Mackenzie) and Anglo-Americans (such as the Lewis and Clark expeditions) explored mountains, natural resources such as minerals and furs promoted the initial economic development of mountains, although the mountains themselves never they have experienced a dense population.
  • Among the 100 highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, 78 (including the 30 highest peaks) are in Colorado, 10 in Wyoming, 6 in New Mexico, and 3 in Montana, one in Utah. Parks and forests protect most of the mountains. They are popular tourist destinations, especially suitable for hiking, camping, climbing, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, snowmobiling, skiing, and snowboarding.

The Great Divide Range

  • The Great Divide, also known as the Great Divide, Eastern Highlands or Eastern Range, is the main river basin in eastern Australia; it consists of a series of plateaus and low mountains, roughly parallel to the coasts of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, and has a total length of 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers).
  • The geology and topography are complex, and the distribution begins in the northern part of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. In the state, the mountains have an average elevation of 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 900 meters), but in the Belendank and McPherson Mountains and the Lamington Plateau, elevations are as high as 5,000 feet (1,500 meters).
  • Further south, the highlands average 3,000 feet; the section called the Australian Alps near the border of New South Wales and Victoria contains the highest peak in Australia, Kosciuszko (7,310 feet [2,228 meters]).
  • The highlands eventually bend westward into Victoria, ending at the Grampians, while the southern tributary emerges from the Bass Strait, forming the central highlands of Tasmania. The basin is not made up of a continuous mountain chain, but rather a complex made up of mountains, plateaus, hills and plateaus and cliffs with an ancient and complex geological history (Cordillera). The name of the geographical division of the continent is called the Eastern Mountains of Australia.
  • In some places, the terrain is relatively flat and consists of very low hills. Generally, the altitude range of high ground is 300 to 1600 meters (980 to 5250 feet). Mountains and plateaus composed of limestone, sandstone, quartzite, shale, and dolomite are formed through faults and folding processes.

The Ural Mountains

The Ural Mountains stretch from the Kara Sea to the Kazakh steppe bordering Kazakhstan, with a total length of approximately 2,500 kilometers (1,600 miles). Vaygach Island and Novaya Zemlya Island form another continuation of the northern chain. Geographically, this range marks the northern part of the border between Europe and Asia. Its highest peak is the Folk Mountain, which is about 1,895 m (6,217 feet) high. According to topography and other natural characteristics, the Ural Mountains are divided into polar regions (or the Arctic), deep-sea (or subarctic), north, central, and south from north to south.

Polar Urals

The Polar Ural Mountains extend from the Konstantinovkamen Mountain in the north to the Kurna River in the south, with a total length of about 385 kilometers (239 miles); their area is about 25,000 square kilometers (9,700 square miles), and there is one Seriously dissected relief. The highest elevation of Mount Payer is 1,499 m (4,918 feet), and the average elevation is 1,000 to 1,100 m (3,300 to 3,600 feet). The polar Ural Mountains exposed rocks with sharp ridges, but flat or round tops were also found.

Abyss Polar

The deep-sea polar Ural is higher than the polar Ural and is 150 kilometers (93 miles) wide. They include the highest peaks in the range: Narrodnaya (1,895 m (6,217 ft)), Karpinski (1,878 m (6,161 ft)), and Manaraga (1,662 m (5,453 ft)). They extend more than 225 kilometers (140 miles) south to reach Shchugor. Numerous ridges are jagged and cut by river valleys. The polar Urals and the polar deep sea are typical high mountains; they have traces of Pleistocene glaciers, as well as permafrost and extensive modern glaciers, including 143 existing glaciers.

North Ural

The northern part of the Urals consists of a series of parallel ridges, up to 1,000-1,200 m (3,300-3,900 ft) in height, and are longitudinally recessed. They extend from north to south and extend approximately 560 kilometers (350 miles) from the American River. Most peaks have been razed to the ground, but higher peaks such as Telposiz at 1,617 m (5,305 ft) and Konzhakovsky Stone at 1,569 m (5,148 ft) have anatomical topography. Strong weathering has produced large areas of eroded rocks on the slopes and tops of the northern mountains.

Central Ural-

The Central Ural is the lowest part of the Ural. The peaks are gentle and the highest peak is 994 m (3261 ft) (Base); they extend south from the Ufa River.

South Ural

The terrain of the South Urals is more complex, with many valleys and parallel southwest and south-facing mountains. This range includes the Ilmensky Mountains separated from the main ridge by Mias. The maximum height is 1,640 meters (5,380 feet) (Yamantau Mountain), and the width reaches 250 kilometers (160 miles). Other notable peaks are located on the Iremel ridge (Bolshoy Iremel and Maly Iremel). The Southern Ural Mountains stretch for about 550 kilometers (340 miles), reaching the steep west bend of the Ural River, finally reaching the Gübelin Mountains, and finally reaching the wide Mughal Zal Mountains.

Atlas Mountains

  • The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb. It separates the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts from the Sahara desert. It stretches for approximately 2,500 kilometers (1,600 miles) through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
  • The highest peak in the range is Toubkal in central Morocco, which stands at 4,167 meters (13,671 feet) above sea level. The Atlas Mountains are inhabited mainly by Berbers. In some Berber languages, the terms for “mountain” are Adrar and adras.
  • These terms are considered related to the geographical name Atlas. Mountains are also home to many plants and animals, most of which are found in Africa, but some of them can be found in Europe.
  • Many of these species are on the brink of extinction and some are already extinct. The basement rocks in most of Africa were formed during the Precambrian Hyperon period and are much older than the Atlas Mountains located on the African continent. Atlas was formed in three later stages of Earth’s geology.
  • The first stage of tectonic deformation involved only the anti-Atlas, which was formed in the Paleozoic (about 300 million years ago) due to continental collisions. Millions of years ago, North America, Europe, and Africa were already connected. The Anti-Atlas Mountains are believed to have originally formed as part of the Allegheny Orogenic Movement.
  • These mountains were formed when Africa and America collided and were once comparable to the Himalayas of today. Today, the remains of this chain can be seen in the Fall Line area of ​​the eastern United States. Some remains can also be found in the Appalachian Mountains that later formed in North America.

Alps Mountains

  • The Alps are a small part of a discontinuous mountain range, stretching from the Atlas Mountains in North Africa to southern Europe and Asia, and beyond the Himalayas.
  • The Alps stretch north from the subtropical Mediterranean coast near Nice, France, to Lake Geneva, and then northeast to Vienna (in the Vienna Woods). There, they touched the Danube and merged with the adjacent plain.
  • The Alps are part of France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Albania. However, only Switzerland and Austria can be considered true Alpine countries.
  • The widest part of the Alps between Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, and Verona, Italy is approximately 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) long, more than 125 miles wide, and covers an area of ​​more than 80,000 square miles (207,000 square kilometers). They are the most important natural geographic regions in Western Europe.

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