Mountains

Essential Questions:

Compare types of mountains.

Identify the forces that shape Earths mountains.

Mountains
There are four main types of mountains:
fault-block, folded, upwarped, and volcanic.

Each type forms in a different way and can

produce mountains that vary greatly in size.

Mountains
The ruggedness of a mountain chain
depends largely on whether or not it is still
forming.

Stopped forming

Still forming

Mountains
Infer what
determines
how rugged
and high a
mountain
chain is.

Whether or
not it is still
forming.

Mountains
Define
fault-block
mountains.

Sierra Nevada in California

Sharp, jagged
mountains made of
huge, tilted blocks of
rock that are separated
from surrounding rock
by faults and form
because of pulling
forces

Mountains
Describe
how faultblock
mountains
form.

Rock layers get

pulled in opposite
directions, large
blocks slide
downward, creating
valleys and peaks.

Mountains

Mountains
that
form
Define
by
the
folding
of
rock
folded
layers
caused
by
mountains.
compressive forces

Appalachian in Maryland

Mountains
Describe
how folded
mountains
form.

Compression: two
plates are pushed
together, this causes
rock layers to buckle
and fold

Mountains
Define
upwarped
mountains.

Rocky Mountains in Colorado

Mountains that form

when forces inside
Earth push up on the
crust

Mountains
Describe
how
upwarped
mountains
form.

Forces inside Earth

push up the crust;
with time sedimentary
rock layers erode
exposing igneous and
metamorphic rock

Mountains
Define
volcanic
mountains.

Mt St Helens in Washington

Mountains that form

when magma is
forced upward and
flows onto Earths
surface

Mountains
Describe
how volcanic
mountains
form.

Magma from inside the

Earth, called lava after
it reaches Earths
surface, cools. Over
time, layer upon layer
of lava piles up
creating a cone shaped
feature.

Uplift
If you were to place wooden blocks of
various thickness in a container of water
you would notice that different blocks of
wood would float at different heights.

The thicker wood would float higher in the

water than the thinner blocks would.

Uplift
With the blocks, the buoyant force of water
is balancing the force of gravity.
A similar process called ISOSTASY occurs
in Earth.

Define
isostasy

Principle stating that

Earths lithosphere
floats on a plasticlike
upper part of the
mantle called the
asthenosphere

Uplift
The principle of isostasy is why the crust
under mountains is thicker than it is
elsewhere.

Isostasy also the floating of icebergs.

Mountains

Pictures
http://www.pitt.edu/~cejones/GeoImages/3Intru
siveBodies/1Plutonsz/1SierraNevada.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_formation
http://www.city-data.com/forum/nature/912962how-mountain-ranges-were-created-serious-44.h
tml
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk/GCSE/AQA/Re
stless%20Earth/Tectonics/Landforms_at_%20p
late_%20boundaries.htm

Mountains
Pictures
http://livestockandenvironment.org/?attachment
_id=443
http://www.oocities.org/williamswindow/landforms
.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens
http://www.slipperysnake.co.uk/educationalmaterials/geography/volcanoes/
http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/education/vwless
ons/lessons/Earths_layers/Earths_layers5.html
http://thedailyeater.com/?p=4824