We explain what a mountain range is, how it is formed and its differences from a mountain range. Also, what the mountain climate is like and examples.
What is a mountain range?
The mountain ranges are extensive successions of mountains linked together which often function as a geographical boundary between countries. They originate in areas where the soil was transformed due to the movement of tectonic plates, causing the sediments to compress, rise above the earth’s surface and give rise to several mountain ranges.
The mountain ranges usually have tall peaks. The elevation of its sediments can take on various shapes and sizes, such as mountains, mountain ranges, hills, mountains or hills.
Formation of a mountain range
a mountain range It is formed by the movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates that collide with each other they fold and deform until they rise above the Earth’s crust. The sediments that lie on the surface are affected by external phenomena such as high temperatures, soil erosion by wind, water erosion, among others.
The mountains can also be generated by underwater elevations (product of plate movement or underwater volcanic eruptions). This is the case of the island of Hawaii and those around it, which make up a mountain system under the ocean whose peaks rise above sea level, forming a group of islands.
The highest mountain in the world detected is Mauna Kea, in Hawaii. It consists of an inactive volcano, submerged in the Pacific Ocean. From the base to the top it measures 10,203 meters, but the visible part above sea level is 4,205 meters. The highest mountain based on sea level is Everest with 8,850 meters (above sea level).
mountain climate
The mountain climate (also called alpine climate) varies depending on location, relief and height of the mountain range. The climate of each surrounding region influences mountain temperatures from the base to mid-altitude, and the higher the summit height, the greater the contrast with the region’s climate.
From 1,200 meters above sea level the temperature begins to become increasingly cold and humid with abundant rainfall. Atmospheric pressure decreases due to height, which means that the air pressure is increasingly lower and living beings find it difficult to breathe as they ascend.
Mountain range and mountains
Sierras are subsets of small mountains located in a larger mountain range like a mountain range. The mountain range is characterized by containing serrated or very pronounced elevations, but of medium height.
An example is the Sierra Negra in Mexico, located between the limits of Veracruz and Puebla (which is part of the Neovolcanic mountain range). It consists of an extinct volcano and is the fifth highest mountain in the country with a height of 4,640 meters. It is a great tourist attraction for mountain biking and trekking.
Andes Mountains
The Andes mountain range is a mountain system in South America. It is the longest mountain range in the world with 8,500 kilometers in length and it is the second highest (after the Himalayas) with an average elevation of 4,000 meters. Its highest peak is Aconcagua, 6,960 meters high. It is located in an area of great seismic and volcanic activity.
The Andes mountain range was formed during the Mesozoic period. It extends from the current region of Táchira in Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina (crossing Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile).
Its path continues towards the south forming an underwater mountain range called the “Arc of the Southern Antilles” or “Scotia Arc”, and some of its peaks appear above the surface of the ocean forming small islands.
Himalayas
The Himalayan mountain range in Asia It is the highest mountain system in the world. Among the various mountains that make it up, Mount Everest stands out, the highest point on Earth that rises to 8,850 meters above sea level and is an icon for mountaineers around the world, due to the great challenge it entails. scale it.
The Himalayan mountain range was formed about 55 million years ago. It has an extension of 2,300 kilometers and extends from northern Pakistan to the state of Arunachal Pradesh (India), bordering the Tibet region along its entire length. It has an average height of 6,100 meters.
In the Himalayas the three main river systems of Asia are born: the Indus River, the Ganges and the Yangtze. These rivers also contribute to regulating the planet’s climate, especially in the central regions of the Indian continent. The Himalayas are home to several glaciers such as Siachen (the largest in the world outside the polar regions), Gangotri and Yamunotri.
Other mountain ranges in the world
Other important mountain ranges in the world are:
- The Neovolanic mountain range (Mexico) It is a mountain system made up of active and inactive volcanoes that crosses central Mexico from Cape Corrientes on the west coast to Jalapa and Veracruz on the east coast. The highest peaks stand out such as Orizaba (5,610 meters), Popocatépetl (5,465 meters), Iztaccíhuatl (5,230 meters) and Colima (4,100 meters). Many of its valleys and basins are used for agriculture and its metal-rich soil contains silver, lead, zinc, copper and tin.
- The Alps mountain range (Europe). It is the most extensive mountain system in central Europe, forming a 1,200 kilometer long mountain arc that extends from eastern France, passing through Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Austria. Several of its peaks exceed 3,500 meters in height and contain more than 1,000 glaciers. Throughout history, numerous Christian monasteries have settled among the mountains of the Alps, in search of tranquility.
- The Rocky Mountain range (North America) It is a mountain system that extends from northern Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, to southern New Mexico. It has a length of 4,800 kilometers and peaks that are around 4,000 meters high. It contains important glaciers, such as Dinwoody and Gooseneck, which are shrinking increasingly rapidly as a result of global warming (more than 400 billion tons of glaciers have been lost worldwide since 1994).
- The Pyrenees mountain range (Spain and France) It is a mountain system that extends from east to west between Spain and France (from Cape Creus in the Mediterranean Sea to the Cantabrian mountain range), with an extension of 430 kilometers. Its highest peaks are located in the central part of the mountain range and exceed 3,000 meters high, such as Aneto (3,404 meters), Posets (3,375 meters), Monte Perdido (3,355 meters) and Pico Maldito. (from 3,350). Currently, it has some small glaciers that are located above 2,700 meters high.
- The Cantabrian mountain range (Spain) It is a mountain system located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, parallel to the Caspian Sea and that crosses Galicia, Austrias, Castilla, León, Cantabria and the Basque Country. It has a length of 480 kilometers. Its highest peaks are Torre Cerredo (2,650 meters), Torre del Llambrión (2,642 meters) and Torre del Tiro Tirso (2,640 meters). It has caverns that are part of the so-called “Trave cave system”, whose cavities reach 1,440 meters deep.
Continue with: Plateaus
References
- “Mountains” in National Geographic.
- “What is a mountain range” in Geographic Epicenter.
- «Underwater mountains» in NU2.
- “Mountain environments” in OCW Unican.
- “Mountain climate” in Enciclopedia.us.
- “Arc of the Southern Antilles” in Wikipedia.
- “Mountains that you should know in Mexico” in México Desconocido.
- “Great Himalayas” in Encyclopedia Britannica.
- “Himalayas” in Encyclopedia Britannica.
- “Mountain, hill, hill, hill, range and mountain range” in Science for beginners.
