The mountains are different: old and young, rocky and gently sloping, domed and spiky. Some of them are covered with dense forests, while others are covered 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 a form of relief
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 elevation of the terrain. In any mountain, three main elements are clearly traced:
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 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 world's population lives at altitudes not exceeding 200 meters above sea level.
Classification of mountains in geomorphology. The mountains are 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, denudational or volcanic, by age - old or young. Moreover, the mountain system is considered young, the formation time of which does not exceed 50 million years. By geological standards, this is a very small age.
According to the shape of their peak, mountains are:
- spiky;
- domed;
- plateau-like (“canteens”).
According to the height above sea level, geographers distinguish mountains:
Sometimes in the literature you can also find intermediate high-altitude types, for example medium-high or medium-low mountains. It is immediately worth noting that mountains of average height can be found in any part of the world. However, most of them are in Europe and Asia.
Middle mountains: examples and height
8848 meters - such a 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, the Australian Alps, Stara Planina. There are medium mountains and within Russia. Those are the Ural Mountains, East Sayan, Kuznetsk Alatau, Sikhote-Alin (pictured below) and others.
An important feature of the middle mountains is the presence of altitudinal zonation. That is, vegetation and landscapes here change with height.
Carpathians
The Carpathians are Europe's largest mountain system, covering eight countries. Linguists, explaining the origin of its name, came to the conclusion that this toponym has primitive Indo-European roots and translates as “stone”, “rock”.
The Carpathians stretched 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 (Mount Gerlachowski-Štit, 2654 m). A curious fact: between the Alps and the extreme eastern spurs of the Carpathians - only 15 kilometers.
The Carpathians are young mountains. They formed in the Cenozoic. However, their outlines are smooth, gentle, which is more inherent in old geological structures. This can be explained by the fact that the Carpathians are mainly composed of soft rocks (chalk, limestone and clay).
The mountain system is divided into three conventional parts: Western, Eastern (or Ukrainian) and Southern Carpathians. It also includes the Transylvanian Plateau. Carpathian mountains are characterized by rather high seismicity. Here is the so-called Vrancea zone, which “produces” earthquakes with a magnitude of 7-8 points.
Appalachian mountains
Geomorphologists often call the Appalachian Mountains an identical double of the Carpathians. In appearance, they are not much different from each other. The Appalachian Mountains are located in eastern 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, the American Appalachians are a product of earlier Hercynian and Caledonian folding. They formed about 200-400 million years ago.
The Appalachians are rich in various mineral resources. It produces coal, asbestos, oil, and iron ore. In this regard, this mountain 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 mainland can also go camping in the real Alps. But only in the Australian!
This mountain system is located in the southern part of the continent. It is here that the highest point of all Australia is located - Mount Kosciuszko (2228 m). And on the slopes of these mountains originates the longest river of the mainland - the Murray.
The Australian Alps are amazingly diverse in landscape design. In these mountains you can find snow-capped peaks, and deep green valleys, and lakes with clear water. The slopes of the mountains are decorated with bizarre in appearance rocks. The Australian Alps has several scenic national parks and excellent ski resorts.
Finally
Now you know which mountains are medium and which are high. Geomorphologists distinguish three types of mountain systems in height. Medium mountains have a height of 1000 to 3000 meters above sea level. Carpathians, Appalachian Mountains, Australian Alps - these are the most striking examples of such mountain systems in the world.