Portal:Mountains

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Introduction

Silvretta panorama from the Ochsenkopf

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...)

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Selected mountain-related landform

A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a very long period. Some valleys are formed through erosion by glacial ice. These glaciers may remain present in valleys in high mountains or polar areas.

At lower latitudes and altitudes, these glacially formed valleys may have been created or enlarged during ice ages but now are ice-free and occupied by streams or rivers. In desert areas, valleys may be entirely dry or carry a watercourse only rarely. In areas of limestone bedrock, dry valleys may also result from drainage now taking place underground rather than at the surface. Rift valleys arise principally from earth movements, rather than erosion. Many different types of valleys are described by geographers, using terms that may be global in use or else applied only locally. (Full article...)

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Map depicting the location of the Gjelsvik Mountains in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica

The Gjelsvik Mountains are a group of mountains about 25 nautical miles (50 km) long, between the Sverdrup Mountains and the Mühlig-Hofmann Mountains in Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. With its summit at 2,705 metres (8,875 ft), the massive Risemedet Mountain forms the highest point in these mountains, also marking their eastern end. (Full article...)

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A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arisen from the same cause, usually an orogeny. Mountain ranges are formed by a variety of geological processes, but most of the significant ones on Earth are the result of plate tectonics. Mountain ranges are also found on many planetary mass objects in the Solar System and are likely a feature of most terrestrial planets.

Mountain ranges are usually segmented by highlands or mountain passes and valleys. Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geologic structure or petrology. They may be a mix of different orogenic expressions and terranes, for example thrust sheets, uplifted blocks, fold mountains, and volcanic landforms resulting in a variety of rock types. (Full article...)

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Selected climbing article

A spring-loaded camming device (also SLCD, cam or friend) is a piece of rock climbing or mountaineering protection equipment. It consists of two, three, or four cams mounted on a common axle or two adjacent axles, so that pulling on the axle forces the cams to spread further apart. It is then attached to a sling and carabiner at the end of the stem. The SLCD is used by pulling on the "trigger" (a small handle) so that the cams retract together, then inserting it into a crack or pocket in the rock and releasing the trigger to allow the cams to expand. A pull on the rope, such as that generated by a climber falling, will cause a properly placed SLCD to convert the pulling force along the stem of the unit into outwards pressure on the rock, producing massive amounts of friction and preventing the removal of the unit from the rock. Due to the large forces exerted on the rock when an SLCD is fallen on, it is very important that SLCDs are only placed in solid, strong rock. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Alpine landscape below Malyovitsa Peak, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 2The 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 3Mountaineers, c. 1900 (from Mountaineering)
Image 4Alpine flora near Cascade Pass (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 5The Namcha Barwa Himal, east part of the Himalayas as seen from space by Apollo 9 (from Mountain range)
Image 6Fuji volcano (from Mountain)
Image 7Edelweiss, a plant associated with mountain sports (from Mountaineering)
Image 8Tropical montane forest at around 2,000 m in Malaysia (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 9Chimborazo, Ecuador, whose summit is the point farthest away from the Earth's center (from Mountain)
Image 10The 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 11Montes Apenninus on the Moon was formed by an impact event. (from Mountain range)
Image 12Everest 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 13Apennine Mountains and Trebbia river, Italy (from Mountain)
Image 14Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria, part of the fault-block Rila-Rhodope massif (from Mountain)
Image 15Distribution of mountains by location and elevation (from Mountain)
Image 16Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, is known for its montane vegetation. (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 17Car of Horská služba (Czech Republic) (from Mountain rescue)
Image 18British 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 19Edward Whymper (1840–1911), painting by Lance Calkin (from Mountaineering)
Image 20An alpine mire in the Swiss Alps (from Mountain)
Image 21Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain (from Mountain)
Image 22The Ocean Ridge, the world's longest mountain range (chain) (from Mountain range)
Image 23K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, is revered for its isolation, difficulty, and the profound sense of awe it inspires among climbers. Many alpinists describe ascents of peaks like K2 as deeply spiritual experiences, combining physical challenge with introspection and transcendence. (from Mountaineering)
Image 24The city of La Paz reaches up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in elevation. Mount Illimani dominates the city's skyline. (from Mountain)
Image 25Antique climbing tools (from Mountaineering)
Image 26Mountaineers proceed across snow fields on South Tyrol; other climbers are visible further up the slopes. (from Mountaineering)
Image 27Edmund Hillary (left) and Tenzing Norgay after successfully completing the first ascent of Mount Everest, 29 May 1953
Image 28Winter campers bivouaced in the snow (from Mountaineering)
Image 29Climbers ascending Mount Rainier looking at Little Tahoma Peak, United States (from Mountaineering)
Image 30Temperate montane forest in Bavaria, Germany (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 31Treeline elevation by latitude (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 32This 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 33A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forests (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 34Mountaineers climbing in South Tyrol, Italy (from Mountain)
Image 35Fixed lines and ladders are distinguishing characteristics of expedition style mountaineering (from Mountaineering)
Image 36A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 37Illustration of mountains that developed on a fold that has been thrust (from Mountain)
Image 38Climber approaching the summit of Manaslu at 8,163 metres (from Mountaineering)
Image 39Cabane du Trient, a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps (from Mountaineering)
Image 40Stretcher box in Cumbria, England, prepositioned equipment saves mountain rescue teams having to trudge up mountains with it. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 41Mont Blanc on the border between Aosta Valley, Italy, and Haute-Savoie, France, the highest point in the European Union (from Mountain)
Image 42Iranian oak scrub in the Zagros Mountains (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 43Choppering out the injured – with Mt. Forbes in the background (from Mountain rescue)
Image 44The northern Urals at high latitude and elevation have an alpine climate and barren ground. (from Mountain)

Selected skiing article

Birkebeinerrennet 2010

Birkebeinerrennet (lit. The Birkebeiner race) is a long-distance cross-country ski marathon held annually in Norway. It debuted in 1932 and has been a part of Worldloppet since Worldloppet's inception in 1979.

The Birkebeinerrennet is one of three races held under the Birkebeiner moniker, the other two being Birkebeinerrittet (bicycling) and Birkebeinerløpet [no] (cross-country running). (Full article...)

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