Medium mountains: height and examples. Classification of mountains. §29. Main landforms Low mountains examples from 500 to 1000

Mountains are different: old and young, rocky and flat, domed and peaked. Some of them are covered with dense forests, others with lifeless stone deposits. But in this article we will talk about their height. Which mountains are medium and which are considered high?

Mountain as a landform

First of all, it is worth answering the question of whether this is a positive form of relief, characterized by a sharp and isolated elevation of the terrain. In any mountain, three main elements are clearly visible:

  • vertex;
  • foot;
  • slope.

Any mountain system on the planet is nothing more than 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 their unique 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 are medium, low and high

In geomorphological science, mountains are usually classified according to a number of characteristics: age, height, geographical location, genesis, shape of peaks, etc.

By their origin they can be tectonic, denudation or volcanic, and by age - old or young. Moreover, a mountain system whose formation time does not exceed 50 million years is considered young. By geological standards, this is a very small age.

Depending on the shape of their peak, mountains are:

  • peaked;
  • domed;
  • plateau-shaped (“table”).

Geographers distinguish mountains based on their height above sea level:

  • low;
  • average;
  • tall.

Sometimes in the literature you can find intermediate altitude types, for example, medium-high or medium-low mountains. It is immediately worth noting that mountains of medium 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 - this is the height reached by 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 Drakensberg Mountains, Australian Alps, Stara Planina. There are medium mountains also within Russia. These are Ural Mountains, Eastern Sayan, Sikhote-Alin (pictured below) and others.

An important feature of the middle mountains is the presence of altitudinal zones. That is, the vegetation and landscapes here change with altitude.

Carpathians

The Carpathians are 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 stretch in an arc of one and a half thousand kilometers, from the Czech Republic to Serbia. And the most high point this mountain system is located on the territory of Slovakia (mountain Gerlachovský Štit, 2654 m). An interesting fact: between the Alps and the extreme eastern spurs of the Carpathians there are only 15 kilometers.

The Carpathians are young mountains. They formed in the Cenozoic. However, their outlines are smooth and gentle, which is more typical of 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 conventional parts: Western, Eastern (or Ukrainian) and Southern Carpathians. It also includes the Transylvanian Plateau. are characterized by fairly high seismicity. Here is the so-called Vrancea zone, which “produces” earthquakes with a magnitude of 7-8.

Appalachia

Geomorphologists often call the Appalachians the identical twin of the Carpathians. By appearance they are not much 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 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 a product of earlier Hercynian and Caledonian folds. They formed about 200-400 million years ago.

The Appalachian Mountains are rich in a variety of mineral resources. Coal, asbestos, oil, and 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 Australia!

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 most long river mainland - Murray.

The Australian Alps are stunningly diverse in landscape terms. In these mountains you can find snow-capped peaks, deep green valleys, and lakes with clear water. The mountain slopes are decorated with bizarre-looking rocks. The Australian Alps are home to several picturesque 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 according to height. The middle mountains have an altitude of 1000 to 3000 meters above sea level. The Carpathians, Appalachians, and Australian Alps are the most striking examples of such mountain systems in the world.

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Types and types of mountains. What types of mountains are there?

In this article we will answer the question: what types of mountains are there? There are many types and types of mountains on Earth. Mountains differ in structure, shape, age, origin, height, geographical location, etc.

Let's look at the main types of mountains.

The classification of mountains by age is presented in the previous paragraph of this article.

Types and types of mountains. What types of mountains are there? Signs of classification.

Let's consider all the listed types and types of mountains in more detail.

Types and types of mountains by height:

The main feature by which mountains are classified is the height of the mountains. So, according to the height of the mountains there are:

Lowlands (low mountains) – mountain heights up to 800 meters above sea level.

Features of low mountains:

  • The tops of the mountains are round, flat,
  • The slopes are gentle, not steep, covered with forest,
  • Characteristically, there are river valleys between the mountains.

Examples: Northern Urals, spurs of the Tien Shan, some ridges of Transcaucasia, Khibiny mountains Kola Peninsula, individual mountains of Central Europe.

Medium mountains (medium or mid-altitude mountains) – the height of these mountains is from 800 to 3000 meters above sea level.

Features of the middle mountains:

  • Medium-altitude mountains are characterized by altitudinal zonation, i.e. change of landscape with change in altitude.

Examples of medium mountains: Mountains of the Middle Urals, Polar Urals, mountains of the island New Earth, mountains of Siberia and Far East, mountains of the Apennine and Iberian Peninsulas, Scandinavian mountains in northern Europe, Appalachians in North America and etc.

More examples of medium mountains (added at the request of visitors):

  • more than half of the territory Altai mountains(800-2000 meters),
  • average mountain ranges Eastern Sayan,
  • Aldan Highlands (height up to 2306 meters),
  • medium-altitude ridges of the Chukotka Plateau,
  • Orulgan ridge as part of the Verkhoyansk ridge (height - up to 2409 meters),
  • Chersky ridge (the highest point is Mount Chingikan with a height of 1644 meters),
  • Sikhote-Alin (the highest point is Mount Tordoki-Yani with a height of 2090 meters),
  • High Tatras (highest point - Mount Gerlachovsky Štit, 2655 m),
  • mid-mountain ridges of Transbaikalia (Daursky (up to 1526 m), Malkhansky (up to 1741 m), Dzhidinsky (up to 2027 m), Olekminsky Stanovik (average ridge height - from 1000 to 1400 m, maximum - 1845 m), Vitim Plateau (height from 1200 up to 1600 m) etc.).

Highlands ( high mountains) – the height of these mountains is more than 3000 meters above sea level. These are young mountains, the relief of which is intensively formed under the influence of external and internal processes.

Features of the highlands:

  • The mountain slopes are steep, high,
  • The peaks of the mountains are sharp, peak-shaped, and have a specific name - “Carlings”,
  • The mountain ridges are narrow, jagged,
  • It is characterized by altitudinal zones from forests at the foot of the mountains to icy deserts at the tops.

Examples of highlands: Pamir, Tien Shan, Caucasus, Himalayas, Cordillera, Andes, Alps, Karakorum, Rocky Mountains, etc.

Types and types of mountains by origin.

The next characteristic by which mountains are classified is their origin. So, according to the origin of mountains, there are tectonic, volcanic and erosional (denudation):

are formed as a result of the collision of moving parts of the earth's crust - lithospheric plates. This collision causes folds to form on the surface of the earth. This is how they arise fold mountains. When interacting with air, water and under the influence of glaciers, the rock layers that form folded mountains lose their plasticity, which leads to the formation of cracks and faults. Currently, folded mountains have been preserved in their original form only in certain parts of the young mountains - the Himalayas, formed during the era of Alpine folding.

With repeated movements of the earth's crust, hardened folds of rock are broken into large blocks, which, under the influence of tectonic forces, rise or fall. This is how they arise fold-block mountains. This type of mountains is typical for old (ancient) mountains. An example is the Altai mountains. The emergence of these mountains occurred during the Baikal and Caledonian eras of mountain building; in the Hercynian and Mesozoic eras they were subject to repeated movements of the earth's crust. The type of folded-block mountains was finally adopted during the Alpine folding.

formed during volcanic eruptions. They are usually located along fault lines in the earth's crust or at the boundaries of lithospheric plates.

Volcanic there are mountains two types:

Volcanic cones. These mountains acquired their cone-shaped appearance as a result of the eruption of magma through long cylindrical vents. This type of mountain is widespread throughout the world. These are Fuji in Japan, Mount Mayon in the Philippines, Popocatepetl in Mexico, Misti in Peru, Shasta in California, etc.
Shield volcanoes. Formed by repeated outpouring of lava. They differ from volcanic cones in their asymmetrical shape and small size.

In the areas globe Where active volcanic activity occurs, entire chains of volcanoes can form. The most famous is the chain Hawaiian Islands of volcanic origin with a length of more than 1600 km. These islands are the tops of underwater volcanoes, whose height from the surface of the ocean floor is more than 5500 meters.

Erosion (denudation) mountains .

Erosion mountains arose as a result of the intensive dissection of stratified plains, plateaus and plateaus by flowing waters. Most mountains of this type are characterized by a table shape and the presence of box-shaped and sometimes canyon-type valleys between them. The last type of valley occurs most often when a lava plateau is dismembered.

Examples of erosional (denudation) mountains are the mountains of the Central Siberian Plateau (Vilyuisky, Tungussky, Ilimsky, etc.). Most often, erosion mountains can be found not in the form of separate mountain systems, but within mountain ranges, where they are formed by the dissection of rock layers by mountain rivers.

Types and types of mountains according to the shape of the peak.

Another sign of mountain classification is the shape of the peak.

By the nature of the apical endings there are mountains: peak-shaped, dome-shaped, plateau-shaped, etc.

Added at the request of visitors:

Peaked mountain peaks.

Peaked mountain peaks- these are pointed mountain peaks, shaped like peaks, which is where the name of this species comes from mountain peaks. They are characteristic mainly of young mountains with steep rocky slopes, sharp ridges and deep crevices in river valleys.

Examples of mountains with peaked peaks:

Peak Communism (mountain system – Pamir, height 7495 meters)

Pobeda Peak (Tian Shan mountain system, height 7439 meters)

Mount Kazbek (mountain system – Pamir, height 7134 meters)

Pushkin Peak (mountain system – Caucasus, height 5100 meters)

Plateau-shaped mountain peaks.

Mountain peaks that are flat in shape are called plateau-shaped.

Examples of plateau-like mountains:

Front Range(English) Front Range) - mountain range in the southern part Rocky Mountains in the USA, adjacent to the Great Plains on the west. The ridge stretches from south to north for 274 km. The highest point is Mount Grays Peak (4349 m). The ridge is composed mainly of granites. The peaks are plateau-shaped, the eastern slopes are gentle, the western slopes are steep.

Khibiny(kild. Umptek) - the largest mountain range on the Kola Peninsula. Geological age is about 350 million years. The peaks are plateau-shaped, the slopes are steep with isolated snowfields. However, not a single glacier was discovered in the Khibiny Mountains. The highest point is Mount Yudychvumchorr (1200.6 m above sea level).

Amby(translated from Amharic as Mountain Fortress) is the name of the flat-topped hills and mesas in Ethiopia. They consist mainly of horizontal sandstones and layers of basalt. This determines the flat-topped shape of the mountains. Ambas are located at an altitude of up to 4,500 m.

A variety of mountains with plateau-like peaks are the so-called mesas(German) Tafelberg, Spanish Mesa- in the lane table) – mountains with a truncated flat top. The flat top of these mountains is usually composed of a durable layer (limestone, sandstone, traps, hardened lava). The slopes of mesa mountains are usually steep or stepped. Table mountains arise when stratified plains (for example, the Turgai Plateau) are dissected by flowing waters.

Famous mesas:

  • Amby, (Ethiopia)
  • Elbe Sandstone Mountains, (Germany)
  • Lilienstein, (Germany)
  • Buchberg, (Germany)
  • Koenigstein, (Germany)
  • Tafelberg (Thule), (Greenland)
  • Ben Bulben, (Ireland)
  • Etjo, (Namibia)
  • Gamsberg, (Namibia)
  • Grootberg, (Namibia)
  • Waterberg, (Namibia)
  • Szczelinec Wielkiy, (Poland)
  • Kistenstöckli, (Switzerland)
  • Tafelberg (Suriname)
  • Tepui, (Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana)
  • Monument Valley, (USA)
  • Black Mesa (USA)
  • Table Mountain, (South Africa)
  • Dining room (mountain, Caucasus).

Dome-shaped mountain peaks.

The dome-shaped, that is, rounded, shape of the top can be taken by:

Laccoliths are unformed volcanoes in the form of a hill with a magma core inside,

Extinct ancient heavily destroyed volcanoes,

Small areas of land that have undergone a dome-shaped tectonic uplift and, under the influence of erosion processes, have taken on a mountainous appearance.

Examples of mountains with a domed top:

Black Hills (USA). This territory underwent a dome uplift, and most of The sedimentary cover was removed by further denudation and erosion. As a result, the central core was exposed. It consists of metamorphic and igneous rocks.

Ai-Nikola(Ukrainian Ai-Nikola, Crimean Catholicate. Ay Nikola, Ai Nikola) - a domed outlier mountain, the southeastern spur of Mount Mogabi near the western outskirts of the village of Oreanda. It is composed of Upper Jurassic limestones. Height - 389 meters above sea level.

Castel(Ukrainian Kastel, Crimean Catholicate. Qastel, Kaastel) - a mountain 439 m high on the southern outskirts of Alushta, behind the Professor's Corner. The dome of the mountain is covered with a forest cap, and chaos has formed on the eastern slope - boulders of stone, sometimes reaching 3-5 m in diameter.

Ayu-Dag or Bear Mountain(Ukrainian Ayu-Dag, Crimean Catholicate. Ayuv Dağ, Ayuv Dag) - mountain on South Coast Crimea, located on the border of Big Alushta and Big Yalta. The height of the mountain is 577 meters above sea level. This is a classic example of a laccolith.

Kara- Dag (Ukrainian Kara-Dag, Crimean Catholicate. Qara dağ, Kаara dag) - mountain-volcanic massif, Crimea. Maximum height- 577 m (Mount Holy). It is a heavily destroyed volcanic form with a dome-shaped top.

Mashuk- remnant magmatic mountain (laccolith mountain) in the central part of Pyatigorye in the Caucasus Mineralnye Vody, in the northeastern part of the city of Pyatigorsk. Height is 993.7 m. The peak has a regular dome shape.

Types and types of mountains by geographical location.

Different types of mountains are also divided by geographical location. On this basis, it is customary to group mountains into mountain systems, ridges, mountain ranges and solitary mountains.

Let's take a closer look:

Mountain belts - the largest formations. There are the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt, stretching across Europe and Asia, and the Andean-Cordilleran mountain belt, passing through North and South America.

Mountain country – many mountain systems.

Mountain system – mountain ranges and groups of mountains that are similar in origin and of the same age (for example, the Appalachians)

Mountain ranges – mountains connected to each other, elongated in a line. For example, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (North America).

Mountain groups – also interconnected mountains, but not stretched out in a line, but forming a group of indefinite shape. For example, Mount Henry in Utah and Bear Paw in Montana.

Single mountains – mountains not connected to other mountains, often of volcanic origin. For example, Mount Hood in Oregon and Rainier in Washington.




Classification of mountains by height - average(height m) Ural














The Ural Mountains are a mountain system between the East European and West Siberian plains. The length of the Ural Mountains is more than 2000 km, width from 40 to 150 km. In ancient sources, the Ural Mountains are called the Riphean or Hyperborean Mountains. Russian pioneers called it Stone. The name Ural comes from the Mansi "ur" (mountain). The Ural Mountains were formed in the late Paleozoic during an era of intense mountain building (Hercynian folding).




Mount Narodnaya is the highest peak (1895 m) of the Urals. Discovered by geologist A.N. Aleshkov in 1927. The mountain itself, except for its height, does not stand out against the background of the surrounding mountains of the Subpolar Urals. It is characterized by the presence of carrs and cirques, in the depths of which lakes lie. There are glaciers and snowfields.


M o r a e r m a k rock massif (mountain), located in the Kungur region, Perm region. The Sylva River flows at the foot. The rock is composed mainly of limestones. Ermak has three peaks, Ermak, Ermachikha, Ermachenok, all of them have different heights. There is a cave in the mountain. The legend says that in ancient times Ermak Timofeevich spent the winter in this cave and allegedly hid a treasure there. Ermak stone is very popular place for tourists.




VETLAN The Vetlan stone is a rocky outcrop on the Vishera River, near the city of Krasnovishersk in the Perm region. Since 1981 it has been a protected landscape of regional importance. The stone is an almost vertical wall stretching along the Vishera River for 1750 meters. The height of the rocks reaches 100 meters. Vetlan grows in the area of ​​the stone a large number of various plants, 15 of which are listed in the Red Book.




Volchikha Volchikha is the highest mountain in the vicinity of Yekaterinburg (height 526m). The mountain is located near the cities of Pervouralsk and Revda. The rocky peak of Volchikha rises above the forest. In the direction of Revda and Pervouarlsk, in calm weather, the valley at the foot of the mountain is clearly visible. The Volchikha Reservoir and the bends of the Chusovaya River are also clearly visible. You can also see the peak of Belaya (527m.)



Separately standing mountain cones among the plains are very rare on continents.

Mountains are vast areas of the earth's crust elevated high above the surrounding plains with highly dissected relief.

Land mountains are entire mountainous countries stretching for hundreds and thousands of kilometers. The most long mountains sushi - Andes Mountains, located in South America.

Mountainous countries consist of mountain ranges and intermountain valleys separating them.

A mountain range is an elongated rise bounded by mountain slopes.

Intermountain Valley- This is an elongated depression limited by mountain slopes.

The slopes of ridges and valleys have different steepness (flat, steep, steep) and different shapes (straight, concave, convex). The highest part of the range is the crest.

A ridge is a line of intersection between the slopes of a mountain range.

The ridges can be smooth, rounded, or jagged. Elevations on the ridge form peaks, and depressions form passes.

By absolute altitude mountains are divided into three groups: low - below \(1000\) m, medium - from \(1000\) to \(2000\) m and high - above \(2000\) m.

Mountains of different heights have different appearances. Low mountains such as Middle Urals , have gentle slopes and rounded tops.

High mountains such as Himalayas , Andes , Caucasus , rise steeply up with bare and gloomy rocks. Their ridges are cut by narrow and deep valleys, along which rapid mountain rivers flow.

The highest peaks are covered with snow and glaciers that do not melt even in summer.

Among the mountains of land first place in height occupy the Himalayas. They contain \(11\) peaks with a height of more than \(8000\) m. Among these peaks, the highest point in the world is Mount Everest, or Chomolungma. The most high peak Russia - Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus.

As soon as mountains are formed, they immediately begin to collapse under the influence of external forces.
Vertical movements of the earth's crust raise the ridges upward, and external processes tend to destroy them. The mountains gradually decrease, the slopes become more and more gentle. River valleys are expanding. High mountains turn first into low ones, then into a plain.

What is absolute and relative height?

Absolute altitude - altitude geographical feature relative to sea level.

Relative height is the elevation of one point on the earth's surface above another.

Where are mountains formed?

Mountains are formed at the junction of two lithospheric plates, where layers of rocks are crushed into folds.

Locate the Andes Mountains on a map and determine their extent from north to south.

The length of the Andes is 9000 km.

What is the height of Chomolungma? Find Caucasus Mountains on the map and name the height of Elbrus.

The height of Chomolungma is 8848 m. The height of Elbrus is 5642 m.

What external processes operate on the land surface?

Processes of physical, chemical and biological weathering operate on the land surface.

Questions and tasks

1. What is the difference between mountains and plains?

Mountains and plains differ in absolute heights and variations in heights. Mountains are characterized by high absolute heights and their sharp changes, i.e. mountain ranges alternate with intermountain depressions. Plains are characterized by a relatively flat surface with low absolute heights.

2. How do mountains differ in height? Give examples of mountains of different heights.

Based on absolute height, mountains are divided into three groups: low - below 1000 m (Middle Urals), medium - from 1000 to 2000 m (Carpathians) and high - above 2000 m (Himalayas).

3. How do plains differ in height? Give examples of plains of different heights.

Plains with a height of 0 to 200 m above sea level are called lowlands (Caspian lowland, Amazonian lowland), from 200 to 500 m (East European Plain) - uplands, and above 500 m - plateaus (Central Siberian plateau).

4. How do mountains change over time?

Vertical movements of the earth's crust raise the ridges upward, and external processes tend to destroy them. The mountains are gradually decreasing, the slopes are becoming flatter, and the river valleys are expanding. High mountains turn first into low ones, then into a plain.

5. Using physical maps of the world and Russia in the atlas, find, show and name the lowlands, hills and plateaus located on the Eurasian continent and on the territory of our country. Using the altitude scale, determine the highest altitude characteristic of the Central Siberian Plateau.

Lowlands of Eurasia - Caspian, Black Sea, Pechora, West Siberian, Turanian, Indo-Gangetic.

Hills - Valdai, Central Russian, Volyn-Podolsk, Volga, Smolensk-Moscow.

Plateau – Central Siberian, Deccan.

The highest point of the Central Siberian Plateau is Mount Kamen - 1800 m.

6. By physical map Russia, determine which mountains surround the East European Plain. Which ones are high, and which ones are medium and low?

In the northwestern part it is limited by the mountains of Scandinavia, in the southwestern part by the Sudetes and other mountains of central Europe, in the southeastern part by the Caucasus, and in the east by the Urals. The Caucasus is high mountains. The Sudetes are low mountains. Ural - middle mountains.

7. Using a physical map of the hemispheres, determine which continent is the most mountainous and which is the flattest?

Eurasia is the most mountainous continent. Australia is the flattest continent.



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