Mountains Geology 12 - Chapter 20

Orogeny Mountains are the result of tectonic forces to rock . Orogeny is the process by which a mountain is built. Mountain-building on continents is associated with intense deformation, folding, and faulting, usually along convergent plate boundaries.

Ranges versus Belts Ranges are groups of mountain peaks or ridges that form areas bordered by valleys or rivers. Mountain belts are long chains of mountain ranges that can extend across continents or along their edges.

Belts Typically 1000 of kilometers long and 100 kilometers across (wide) Parallel to continental coastlines The taller the mountains the younger (example steeper rocky mountains are younger than the rounded Appalachian) WHY?

7 Major Mountain belts North American Cordillera – “backbone" of North America, Central America and South America Andes – on the western coast of South America Appalachians/Caledonides – North America spanning continents to Scandanavia Pyrenees – Europe between France and Spain Alps - Europe Urals - Russia Himalaya – Asia and includes Everest and K2

Rockies

The American Cordillera is a series of steep mountain ranges that rim the western edge of North and South America; it is one of the longest mountain belts in the world. *It includes the Rocky Mountain range!

Andes The Andes Mountains are located in South America, running north to south along the western coast of the continent. The Andes Mountains are the longest and one of the highest mountain ranges in the world. They are located in South America and stretch 4,500 miles from north to south, along the west coast of the continent.

Andes

Appalachians

Appalachians The Appalachian Mountains are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The range is mostly located in the USA but extends into southeastern Canada. 160 to 480 km wide, running from NFLD 2,400 km south-westward to central Alabama The system is divided into a series of ranges. Individual mountains averaging around 3,000 ft (900 m). The highest of the group is Mt. Mitchell in NC 2037m high.

Appalachian Mountains

Caledonides The Caledonides are the ancient mountain range that stretched from the Appalachians in North America, through the Atlantic plates, to Scandinavia. It was caused by the closure of the Iapetus Ocean when the continents and terranes of Laurentia, Baltica and Avalonia collided. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caledonian_orogeny They are a remnant of a former age, the result of continental drift.

Caledonides

Urals The Ural Mountains runs roughly north and south through western Russia. They are sometimes considered as the natural boundary between Europe and Asia. Stretching 2,400 km north and south from the Arctic tundra to the deserts of the Caspian Sea. Has the highest peaks, Naroda and Telpos-Iz.

Urals

Alps The Alps are in Europe stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east to Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west. Alps (Latin albus meaning white or altus meaing high) The highest mountain in the Alps is Mont Blanc (4808m) on the French-Italian border.

Alps

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. They separate the Iberian Peninsula from France, and extend for about 430 km from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Older than the Alps.

Pyrenees

Himalaya Together, the Himalaya mountain system is the planet's highest and home to the world's highest peaks: including Mount Everest. To comprehend the enormous scale of Himalayan peaks, consider that Aconcagua in the Andes at 6,962 m, is the highest peak outside the Himalaya, while the Himalayan system has over 100 separate mountains exceeding 7,200 m. The Himalayas stretch across 6 nations: Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Himalaya