Portal:Mountains

Portal

WikiProject

Discussion

Introduction

View of the south side of the Santa Catalina Mountains as seen from Tucson, Arizona.

A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher than a hill, typically rising at least 300 metres (980 ft) above the surrounding land. A few mountains are isolated summits, but most occur in mountain ranges.

Mountains are formed through tectonic forces, erosion, or volcanism, which act on time scales of up to tens of millions of years. Once mountain building ceases, mountains are slowly leveled through the action of weathering, through slumping and other forms of mass wasting, as well as through erosion by rivers and glaciers.

High elevations on mountains produce colder climates than at sea level at similar latitude. These colder climates strongly affect the ecosystems of mountains: different elevations have different plants and animals. Because of the less hospitable terrain and climate, mountains tend to be 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 m (29,035 ft) above mean sea level. The highest known mountain on any planet in the Solar System is Olympus Mons on Mars at 21,171 m (69,459 ft). The tallest mountain including submarine terrain is Mauna Kea in Hawaii from its underwater base at 9,330 m (30,610 ft); some scientists consider it to be the tallest on earth. (Full article...)

Show new selections below (purge)

Selected mountain-related landform

A trim line marks the previous height of Tana Glacier in Alaska

A trim line, also written as trimline, is a clear line on the side of a valley formed by a glacier. The line marks the most recent highest extent of the glacier. The line may be visible due to changes in color to the rock or to changes in vegetation on either side of the line.

The term "trim line" is also used for similar looking phenomena caused by floods, volcanic activity, or tsunamis. (Full article...)

More mountain landforms

Selected mountain range

Byam Martin Mountains

The Byam Martin Mountains are a rugged mountain range extending the length of Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada. It is one of the most northern ranges in the world and is an extension of the Baffin Mountains, which in turn form part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain system. The highest mountain in the range is Angilaaq Mountain at 1,951 m (6,401 ft), located near the island's center. Sharp peaks and ridges, divided by deep glacier-filled valleys, are typical features in the range and has been extensively modified by glacial erosion. The Byam Martin Mountains have not been conducive to habitation. While there are no permanent settlements in the Byam Martin Mountains, Inuit from Pond Inlet and elsewhere regularly travel to the range.

The Byam Martin Mountains are made up of Archean-Aphebian igneous crystalline rock and Proterozoic metasedimentary and metamorphic rock, such as gneiss. (Full article...)

More mountain ranges

Selected mountain type

Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of sediments, ie. mineral or organic particles, at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles to settle in place. The particles that form a sedimentary rock are called sediment, and may be composed of geological detritus (minerals) or biological detritus (organic matter). The geological detritus originated from weathering and erosion of existing rocks, or from the solidification of molten lava blobs erupted by volcanoes. The geological detritus is transported to the place of deposition by water, wind, ice or mass movement, which are called agents of denudation. Biological detritus was formed by bodies and parts (mainly shells) of dead aquatic organisms, as well as their fecal mass, suspended in water and slowly piling up on the floor of water bodies (marine snow). Sedimentation may also occur as dissolved minerals precipitate from water solution.

The sedimentary rock cover of the continents of the Earth's crust is extensive (73% of the Earth's current land surface), but sedimentary rock is estimated to be only 8% of the volume of the crust. Sedimentary rocks are only a thin veneer over a crust consisting mainly of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Sedimentary rocks are deposited in layers as strata, forming a structure called bedding. Sedimentary rocks are often deposited in large structures called sedimentary basins. Sedimentary rocks have also been found on Mars. (Full article...)

More mountain types

Selected climbing article

The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no precise definition of the criteria used to assess independence, and at times, the UIAA has considered whether the list should be expanded to 20 mountain peaks by including the major satellite peaks of eight-thousanders. All of the eight-thousanders are located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges in Asia, and their summits lie in the altitude range known as the death zone.

From 1950 to 1964, all 14 eight-thousanders were summited by expedition climbers in the summer (the first to be summited was Annapurna I in 1950, and the last was Shishapangma in 1964), and from 1980 to 2021, all 14 were summited in the winter (the first to be summited in winter being Mount Everest in 1980, and the last being K2 in 2021). On a variety of statistical techniques, the deadliest eight-thousander is Annapurna I (one death – climber or climber support – for every three summiters), followed by K2 and Nanga Parbat (one death for every four to five summiters), and then Dhaulagiri and Kangchenjunga (one for every six to seven summiters). (Full article...)

More climbing articles

edit

Related portals

General images

The following are images from various mountain-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Winter campers bivouaced in the snow (from Mountaineering)
Image 2Car of Horská služba (Czech Republic) (from Mountain rescue)
Image 3Edelweiss, a plant associated with mountain sports (from Mountaineering)
Image 4Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain (from Mountain)
Image 5Temperate montane forest in Bavaria, Germany (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 6Everest is highest from sea level (green), Mauna Kea is highest from its base (orange), Cayambe is farthest from Earth's axis (pink) and Chimborazo is farthest from Earth's centre (blue) (from Mountain)
Image 7A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 8Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria, part of the fault-block Rila-Rhodope massif (from Mountain)
Image 9Climber approaching the summit of Manaslu at 8,163 metres (from Mountaineering)
Image 10Alpine flora near Cascade Pass (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 11Alpine landscape below Malyovitsa Peak, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 12The Andes, the longest mountain range on the surface of the Earth, have a dramatic impact on the climate of South America (from Mountain range)
Image 13Mountaineers, c. 1900 (from Mountaineering)
Image 14The Ocean Ridge, the world's longest mountain range (chain) (from Mountain range)
Image 15The Dolomite Mountains, Italy, in summer. The climate of the Dolomites is characterized by short but warm and mild summers, while winters are long and very cold. (from Mountain)
Image 16The Namcha Barwa Himal, east part of the Himalayas as seen from space by Apollo 9 (from Mountain range)
Image 17Mountaineers proceed across snow fields on South Tyrol; other climbers are visible further up the slopes. (from Mountaineering)
Image 18Choppering out the injured – with Mt. Forbes in the background (from Mountain rescue)
Image 19Antique climbing tools (from Mountaineering)
Image 20Fixed lines and ladders are distinguishing characteristics of expedition style mountaineering (from Mountaineering)
Image 21Cabane du Trient, a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps (from Mountaineering)
Image 22A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forests (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 23An alpine mire in the Swiss Alps (from Mountain)
Image 24This 1848 "Sketch showing the actual elevation of the Snow Line in different Latitudes" by Alexander Keith Johnston shows the snow lines of mountains in America, Europe and Asia (from Snow line)
Image 25Chimborazo, Ecuador, whose summit is the point farthest away from the Earth's center (from Mountain)
Image 26Montes Apenninus on the Moon was formed by an impact event. (from Mountain range)
Image 27Fuji volcano (from Mountain)
Image 28Iranian oak scrub in the Zagros Mountains (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 29Illustration of mountains that developed on a fold that has been thrust (from Mountain)
Image 30Distribution of mountains by location and elevation (from Mountain)
Image 31Apennine Mountains and Trebbia river, Italy (from Mountain)
Image 32Stretcher box in Cumbria, England, prepositioned equipment saves mountain rescue teams having to trudge up mountains with it. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 33British mountaineer William Cecil Slingsby became known as the father of Norwegian mountaineering and contributed greatly to its popularization with his classic book Norway, the Northern Playground (from Mountaineering)
Image 34Mont Blanc in Aosta Valley, Italy, the highest point in the European Union (from Mountain)
Image 35Tropical montane forest at around 2,000 m in Malaysia (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 36Mountaineers climbing in South Tyrol (from Mountain)
Image 37The city of La Paz reaches up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in elevation. (from Mountain)
Image 38Edward Whymper (1840–1911), painting by Lance Calkin (from Mountaineering)
Image 39Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, is known for its montane vegetation. (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 40The northern Urals at high latitude and elevation have an alpine climate and barren ground. (from Mountain)
Image 41Climbers ascending Mount Rainier looking at Little Tahoma Peak (from Mountaineering)
Image 42Edmund Hillary (left) and Tenzing Norgay after successfully completing the first ascent of Mount Everest, 29 May 1953

Selected skiing article

A ski binding is a device that connects a ski boot to the ski. Before the 1933 invention of ski lifts, skiers went uphill and down and cross-country on the same gear. As ski lifts became more prevalent, skis—and their bindings—became increasingly specialized, differentiated between alpine (downhill) and Nordic (cross-country, Telemark, and ski jumping) styles of skiing. Until the point of divergence in the mid-20th century, bindings held the toe of a flexible, leather boot against the ski and allowed the heel to rise off the ski, typically with a form of strap or cable around the heel.

To address injuries resulting from falls while skiing downhill on such equipment, ski bindings emerged with the ability to release the toe of the boot sideways, in early models, and to release the boot forward and aft, in later models. Downhill ski bindings became standardized to fit plastic ski boots and incorporated a built-in brake that drags in the snow after the ski detaches from the boot. (Full article...)

More skiing articles