Massif

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This article is about a geological formation. For the Valgrind tool, see Valgrind.
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In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term is also used to refer to a group of mountains formed by such a structure. In mountaineering and climbing literature, a massif is frequently used to denote the main mass of an individual mountain. The massif is a smaller structural unit of the crust than a tectonic plate.

The word is taken from French (in which the word also means "massive"), where it is used to refer to a large mountain mass or compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range. One of the most notable European examples of a massif is the Massif Central of the Auvergne region of France.

The Face on Mars is an example of an extraterrestrial massif.[1]

Contents

[edit] List of massifs

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Africa

[edit] Antarctica

[edit] Asia

[edit] Europe

[edit] North America

[edit] Oceania

[edit] South America

[edit] Submerged

[edit] References

  1. ^ Britt, Robert Roy (2006-09-21). "Mars Face Makeover: Controversial Formation Observed from New Angles". Space.com. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060921_mars_images.html. Retrieved 2009-05-04. 
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