Portal:Mountains

Portal

WikiProject

Discussion

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). (Full article...)

Show new selections below (purge)

Selected mountain-related landform

A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain 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...)

More mountain landforms

Selected mountain range

Drygalskiberge in the Fimbulheimen Mountains

Fimbulheimen is a mountain range in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. It stretches from Jutulstraumen by 1° west of Carsten Borchgrevink Ice at 18° east, about 200 km from the ice edge. Fimbulheimen is thus between Maudheim Plateau and Sør-Rondane.

Dronning Maud's highest mountain, Jøkulkyrkja (elevation 3148 m), is located in Mühlig-Hofmann Mountains in Fimbulheimen. The name comes from Fimbulvetr, the harsh winter immediately preceding Ragnarok in Norse mythology. (Full article...)

More mountain ranges

Selected mountain type

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...)

More mountain types

Selected climbing article

(Full article...)

More climbing articles

edit

Related portals

General images

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

Image 1Alpine landscape below Malyovitsa Peak, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 2Choppering out the injured – with Mt. Forbes in the background (from Mountain rescue)
Image 3The 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 4Illustration of mountains that developed on a fold that has been thrust (from Mountain)
Image 5Alpine flora near Cascade Pass (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 6The Ocean Ridge, the world's longest mountain range (chain) (from Mountain range)
Image 7Fixed lines and ladders are distinguishing characteristics of expedition style mountaineering (from Mountaineering)
Image 8British 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 9Mountain climbers ascending Mount Rainier looking at Little Tahoma Peak (from Mountaineering)
Image 10Stretcher box in Cumbria, England, prepositioned equipment saves mountain rescue teams having to trudge up mountains with it. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 11A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forests (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 12Temperate montane forest in Bavaria, Germany (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 13Fuji volcano (from Mountain)
Image 14Cabane du Trient, a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps (from Mountaineering)
Image 15Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria, part of the fault-block Rila-Rhodope massif (from Mountain)
Image 16An alpine mire in the Swiss Alps (from Mountain)
Image 17The Catskills in Upstate New York represent an eroded plateau. (from Mountain)
Image 18Car of Horská služba (Czech Republic) (from Mountain rescue)
Image 19A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 20Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, is known for its montane vegetation. (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 21Iranian oak scrub in the Zagros Mountains (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 22Everest 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 23The northern Urals at high latitude and elevation have an alpine climate and barren ground. (from Mountain)
Image 24Antique climbing tools (from Mountaineering)
Image 25Chimborazo, Ecuador, whose summit is the point farthest away from the Earth's center (from Mountain)
Image 26The city of La Paz reaches up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in elevation. (from Mountain)
Image 27Mountaineers climbing in South Tyrol (from Mountain)
Image 28This 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 29A climber taking the final few steps to the 6,160 m (20,210 ft) summit of Imja Tse (Island Peak) in Nepal, 2004 (from Mountaineering)
Image 30Edelweiss, a plant associated with mountain sports (from Mountaineering)
Image 31Montes Apenninus on the Moon was formed by an impact event. (from Mountain range)
Image 32Edward Whymper (1840–1911), painting by Lance Calkin (from Mountaineering)
Image 33Mountaineers proceed across snow fields on South Tyrol; other climbers are visible further up the slopes. (from Mountaineering)
Image 34Mountain rescue team members and other services attend to a casualty in Freiburg Germany. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 35Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain (from Mountain)
Image 36Winter campers bivouaced in the snow (from Mountaineering)
Image 37Mountaineers, c. 1900 (from Mountaineering)
Image 38A mountain rescue team in Iran moving a casualty. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 39The Namcha Barwa Himal, east part of the Himalayas as seen from space by Apollo 9 (from Mountain range)
Image 40Tropical montane forest at around 2,000 m in Malaysia (from Montane ecosystems)

Selected skiing article

A set of backcountry ski runs in the Battle Range of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Notice a minor avalanche has occurred at the right of frame.

Backcountry skiing (US), also called off-piste (Europe), alpine touring, freeriding or out-of-area, is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas either inside or outside a ski resort's boundaries. This contrasts with alpine skiing, which is typically done on groomed trails benefiting from a ski patrol. Unlike ski touring, backcountry skiing can – and often does – include the use of ski lifts including snowcats and helicopters. Recent improvements in equipment have increased the popularity of the sport. As the sport does confront the individual practicing it with the dangers of natural, unprepared alpine terrain like avalanches, it is generally recommended to carry standard safety equipment and to learn beforehand how to behave safely under such conditions. (Full article...)