, the world's highest mountain range, seen from space.]]
, the world's longest mountain range, by
USGS.]]
, the world's longest mountain range on the surface of continent, seen from the air.]]
A
mountain range is a chain of
mountains bordered by
highlands or separated from other mountains by
passes or
valleys. Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same
geology, though they often do; they may be a mix of different
orogeny, for example
volcanoes, uplifted mountains or
fold mountains and may, therefore, be of different rock. The
Himalaya Range contains the highest mountains on the
Earth's surface, the highest of which is
Mount Everest. The world's longest mountain range is
Ocean Ridge, which runs on the seafloor of five oceans around the world; it has a length of , and the total length of the system is . The
Andes is the world's longest mountain range on the surface of a
continent; it is in length. The
Arctic Cordillera is the world's northernmost mountain system and contains the highest point in eastern
North America.
Sub-ranges
The mountain systems of the earth are characterized by a
tree structure, that is, many mountain ranges have sub-ranges within them. It can be thought of as a parent-child relationship. For example, the
Appalachian Mountains range is the parent of other ranges that comprise it, some of which are the
White Mountains and the
Blue Ridge Mountains. The White Mountains are a child of the Appalachians, and there are also children of the Whites, including the
Sandwich Range and the
Presidential Range. Further, the Presidential Range can be broken up into the Northern Presidential Range and Southern Presidential Range.
Climate
The position of mountains influence climate, such as rain or snow. When air masses move up and over mountains, the air cools producing
orographic precipitation (rain or snow). As the air descends on the leeward side, it warms again (in accordance with the
adiabatic lapse rate) and is drier, having been stripped of much of its moisture. Often, a
rain shadow will affect the leeward side of a range.
A mountains location also affects temperature. If the sun is shining from the east, then the eastern side of the mountain will receive sunlight and warmth, while the other side will be shaded and cooled, so certain ecosystems maintain different
biological clocks depending on the location of a mountain.
Erosion
Uplifted regions or volcanic caps can undergo erosion, which makes them move resulting in a range of mountains. An example is the
English Lake District. Mountain streams carry eroded debris downhill and deposit it in
alluvial plains or in
deltas. This forms the classical geological chain of events, leading to one type of
sedimentary rock formation:
erosion,
transportation,
deposition and
compaction.
See also
References
External links