Portal:Mountains

Introduction

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) and some scientists consider it to be the tallest on earth. (Full article...)

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Selected mountain-related landform

A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice sheet. It may consist of partly rounded particles ranging in size from boulders (in which case it is often referred to as boulder clay) down to gravel and sand, in a groundmass of finely-divided clayey material sometimes called glacial flour. Lateral moraines are those formed at the side of the ice flow, and terminal moraines are those formed at the foot, marking the maximum advance of the glacier. Other types of moraine include ground moraines (till-covered areas forming sheets on flat or irregular topography) and medial moraines (moraines formed where two glaciers meet). (Full article...)

Selected mountain range

Craggy Pinnacle, viewed from the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center

The Great Craggy Mountains, commonly called the Craggies, are a mountain range in western North Carolina, United States. They are a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains and encompass an area of approx. 194 sq mi (503 km²). They are situated in Buncombe County, North Carolina, 14 miles northeast of Asheville. The Black Mountains lie to the northeast, across the upper Cane River valley.

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the crest for most of the way between Asheville and Mount Mitchell. Craggy Gardens, an area of 16 km, is covered with purple Catawba rhododendrons in mid-June. The Craggy Pinnacle Overlook trail is a moderate .73 mile hike to a stone wall overlook with 360 degree views. The parking area for the trail is at milepost 361.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Full article...)

Selected mountain type

Belki (Russian: белки; Khakas: Taskhyl), also known as Belogorye (Russian: белогорье), is a type of mountain summit in Southern Siberia. (Full article...)

Selected climbing article

Site of the Fort de Buoux

Buoux [bju̟ːks] is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Located on the north side of the Luberon, the town is known for the high cliffs that surround it, making it a popular venue for rock-climbing enthusiasts, as well as the ruins of a medieval fort that was built in the 13th century and destroyed in 1660. The town's population peaked in the mid 19th century with 244 inhabitants in 1836 before falling to only 44 people in 1961. The population has since rebounded some to 122 in 2006. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1The 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 2A mountain rescue team in Iran moving a casualty. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 3The Ocean Ridge, the world's longest mountain range (chain) (from Mountain range)
Image 4Mountaineers, c. 1900 (from Mountaineering)
Image 5Cabane du Trient, a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps (from Mountaineering)
Image 6The Namcha Barwa Himal, east part of the Himalayas as seen from space by Apollo 9 (from Mountain range)
Image 7Stretcher box in Cumbria, England, prepositioned equipment saves mountain rescue teams having to trudge up mountains with it. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 8Fixed lines and ladders are distinguishing characteristics of expedition style mountaineering (from Mountaineering)
Image 9Climber approaching the summit of Manaslu at 8,163 metres (from Mountaineering)
Image 10An alpine mire in the Swiss Alps (from Mountain)
Image 11Car of Horská služba (Czech Republic) (from Mountain rescue)
Image 12Antique climbing tools (from Mountaineering)
Image 13Edelweiss, a plant associated with mountain sports (from Mountaineering)
Image 14This 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 15Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, is known for its montane vegetation. (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 16The northern Urals at high latitude and elevation have an alpine climate and barren ground. (from Mountain)
Image 17The city of La Paz reaches up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in elevation. (from Mountain)
Image 18Climbers ascending Mount Rainier looking at Little Tahoma Peak (from Mountaineering)
Image 19Mountaineers proceed across snow fields on South Tyrol; other climbers are visible further up the slopes. (from Mountaineering)
Image 20The Catskills in Upstate New York represent an eroded plateau. (from Mountain)
Image 21Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain (from Mountain)
Image 22Edward Whymper (1840–1911), painting by Lance Calkin (from Mountaineering)
Image 23Alpine flora near Cascade Pass (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 24Mountain rescue team members and other services attend to a casualty in Freiburg Germany. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 25Alpine landscape below Malyovitsa Peak, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 26Chimborazo, Ecuador, whose summit is the point farthest away from the Earth's center (from Mountain)
Image 27Winter campers bivouaced in the snow (from Mountaineering)
Image 28Mountaineers climbing in South Tyrol (from Mountain)
Image 29British 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 30Fuji volcano (from Mountain)
Image 31Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria, part of the fault-block Rila-Rhodope massif (from Mountain)
Image 32Temperate montane forest in Bavaria, Germany (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 33Illustration of mountains that developed on a fold that has been thrust (from Mountain)
Image 34Everest 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 35Mont Blanc in Aosta Valley, Italy, the highest point in the European Union (from Mountain)
Image 36Tropical montane forest at around 2,000 m in Malaysia (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 37Montes Apenninus on the Moon was formed by an impact event. (from Mountain range)
Image 38Iranian oak scrub in the Zagros Mountains (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 39A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forests (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 40A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 41Choppering out the injured – with Mt. Forbes in the background (from Mountain rescue)

Selected skiing article

Paralympic Nordic skiing is a Winter Paralympics sport consisting of biathlon and cross-country skiing. The sport is governed by the International Paralympic Committee, with its subcommittee for Nordic skiing known as World Para Nordic Skiing.

Paralympic Nordic skiing includes standing events, sitting events (for wheelchair users), and events for visually impaired athletes. (Full article...)