Mountains are different: old and young, rocky and gently sloping, domed and peaked. Some of them are covered with dense forests, others - with lifeless stone placers. But in this article we will talk about their height. Which mountains are medium and which are considered high?
Mountain as landform
First of all, it is worth answering the question of what a mountain is. This is a positive landform, characterized by a sharp and isolated uplift of the terrain. In any grief, three main elements are clearly visible:
- top;
- foot;
- slope.
Any mountain system of the planet is nothing but a complex system of valleys (depressions) and ridges, consisting of dozens of individual peaks. All of them are external manifestations of the internal (endogenous) forces of the Earth - tectonic movements of the earth's crust and volcanism.
Mountains create the most beautiful and unique landscapes on the surface of our planet. They are distinguished by a peculiar soil cover, unique flora and fauna. But people settle in the mountains extremely reluctantly. According to statistics, about 50%of the earth's population lives at altitudes not exceeding 200 meters above sea level.
Classification of mountains in geomorphology. Mountains medium, low and high
In geomorphological science, mountains are usually classified according to a number of characteristics: by age, height, geographical location, genesis, shape of peaks, etc.
By their origin they can be tectonic, denudation or volcanic, by age - old or young. Moreover, that mountain system is considered young, the time of formation of which does not exceed 50 million years. By geological standards, this is a very young age.
According to the shape of their top, mountains are:
- spike;
- domed;
- platform ("dining rooms").
Geographers distinguish mountains by height above sea level:
- low;
- medium;
- high.
Sometimes in the literature you can also find intermediate high- altitude types, for example, medium-high or medium-low mountains. It should be noted right away that mountains of medium height can be found in any part of the world. However, most of them are in Europe and Asia.
Medium mountains: examples and heights
8848 meters - this mark reaches the highest peak in the world - Chomolungma, or Everest. The absolute height of the middle mountains is much more modest: from 1 to 3 km above sea level.
The most famous examples of such mountain systems are the Carpathians, Appalachians, Tatras, Apennines, Pyrenees, Scandinavian and Dragon Mountains, Australian Alps, Stara Planina. There are middle mountains and within Russia. These are the Ural Mountains, Eastern Sayan, Kuznetsk Alatau, Sikhote-Alin (pictured below) and others.
An important feature of medium mountains is the presence of altitudinal zonation. That is, the vegetation and landscapes here change with height.
Carpathians
The Carpathians is the largest mountain system in Europe, spanning eight countries. Linguists, explaining the origin of its name, came to the conclusion that this toponym has Proto-Indo-European roots and is translated as “stone”, “rock”.
The Carpathians stretched in an arc of one and a half thousand kilometers, from the Czech Republic to Serbia. And the highest point of this mountain system is located on the territory of Slovakia (mountain Gerlakhovski-Shtit, 2654 m). An interesting fact: between the Alps and the extreme eastern spurs of the Carpathians - only 15 kilometers.
Carpathians are young mountains. They formed in the Cenozoic. However, their outlines are smooth, gentle, which is more typical for older geological structures. This can be explained by the fact that the Carpathians are predominantly composed of soft rocks (chalk, limestone and clay).
The mountain system is divided into three conditional parts: Western, Eastern (or Ukrainian) and Southern Carpathians. It also includes the Transylvanian Plateau. The Carpathian Mountains are characterized by rather high seismicity. The so-called Vrancea zone is located here, which "produces" earthquakes with a magnitude of 7-8 points.
Appalachians
Geomorphologists often call the Appalachians an identical twin of the Carpathians. By extern althey look little different from each other. The Appalachian Mountains are located in the eastern part of North America, within two states (USA and Canada). They stretch from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The total length of the mountain system is about 2500 kilometers.
If the European Carpathians are young mountains, then the American Appalachians are the product of earlier Hercynian and Caledonian foldings. They formed around 200-400 million years ago.
The Appalachians are rich in various mineral resources. Coal, asbestos, oil, iron ore are mined here. In this regard, this mountainous region is also very often called the historical "industrial belt" of the United States.
Australian Alps
It turns out that the Alps are not only in Europe. Residents of the smallest and driest continent can also go hiking in the real Alps. But only in Australian!
This mountain system is located in the southern part of the continent. It is here that the highest point in all of Australia is located - Mount Kosciuszko (2228 m). And on the slopes of these mountains, the longest river on the mainland, the Murray, originates.
The Australian Alps are stunningly diverse in terms of landscape. In these mountains you can meet snow-capped peaks, and deep green valleys, and lakes with the purest water. The slopes of the mountains are decorated with bizarre-looking rocks. The Australian Alps are home to several scenic national parks and excellent ski resorts.
Bconclusion
Now you know which mountains are medium and which are high. Geomorphologists distinguish three types of mountain systems according to height. The middle mountains have a height of 1000 to 3000 meters above sea level. The Carpathians, the Appalachians, the Australian Alps are the most striking examples of such mountain systems in the world.
