Questions tagged [mountains]

Questions regarding large land masses that reach high above the surrounding terrain, usually forming a peak.

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Shouldn't the permanent snow line be considerably higher in the Alps and on Mt Hood if temperature falls 6.5°C per 1000 meters?

The permanent snow line in the Alps is around 10,000 ft (3,000 m) elevation. This was further confirmed by a passenger flight I took late June where the screen showed 0°C (freeze point) around 10,000 ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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Can gold be found in middle range of the Himalayas like in Himachal Pradesh mountains or rivers above 3500 m that come directly from the glaciers? [duplicate]

Can gold be found in the middle range of the Himalayas like in the Himachal Pradesh mountains or rivers above 3500 metres that come directly from the glaciers? Such as in the river banks of the Satluj ...
himalayan soul's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
55 views

Do snow gustnadoes or anything similar occur at or near the summits of the highest Himalayas such as Mt Everest?

A gustnado is a landspout (i.e. a "mini-tornado") that isn't connected to the ambient cloud base (if there is any). Mt Everest, the highest point on Earth, there is nothing "in the way&...
Giovanni's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
109 views

What is 0 degree isotherm and how to calculate it?

I want to look at different areas of alpine glaciers and understand the position of 0 degree isotherm to do a comparative climate analysis. Given the mean annual air temperature and altitude, how do i ...
kc_nul's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
558 views

What are these geological horizontal lines formed on this mountain called and why they are formed?

This images are of Mt. Kailash, Himalaya. Front face of Mount: Back face of Mount:
TankFishToad's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
84 views

What is this mountainous relief feature?

I was going through an old Indian survey map, when I saw this unfamiliar relief feature. It looked like a cross between a hachure and saddle. Could someone help identify it?
MrGubbo's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
171 views

If the Sea level rises, will the mountains lose their height?

I read that the altitude of mountains is measured from the sea level. So, if the sea level rises significantly due to global warming, will the mountains and hills lose some of their altitudes and ...
Sooraj MV's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
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When we're talking about the tree line, does it include mountain pines?

In the mountains, the tree line marks the elevation above which there are no more trees growing. Do those little mountain pines such as the ones in this image (it failed to upload for some reason) ...
Giovanni's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
32 views

Are there any (land) hills/mountains with *peaks* below sea level?

Related to Are there any (land) hills/mountains with bases below sea level?, are there any peaks or cliff below mean sea level which looks out onto even lower land? According to https://elevation....
Gnubie's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
208 views

Does Everest have a topographic isolation?

Here are three definitions of "topographic isolation". Wikipedia The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum distance to a point of equal elevation, representing a radius of ...
Galen's user avatar
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10 votes
9 answers
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Are there any (land) hills/mountains with bases below sea level?

There are areas of land that are in fact, below sea level. Are there any hills or mountains that have bases that start in these below-sea-level areas of land?
blademan9999's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
266 views

Guessing region of the world from coastline / border shape: geographic insights for Worldle game

The game Worldle (https://worldle.teuteuf.fr/) is related to the recent craze in online once-a-day puzzles like Wordle. You are shown the outline of a country and get six guesses. For each wrong guess,...
nealmcb's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
378 views

Geology of the San Gabriel mountains in the Angeles national forest - rock types

I'm not a geologist, I am a hiker. And after many hikes in California's Sierra Nevada and Utah's red country I figured it would be great to learn some geology and I'm just posting this question to see ...
Amperie 's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
242 views

Why are the Himalayan rivers highly tortuous in the mountain reaches?

"In the Himalayan reaches, the course of these rivers is highly tortuous, but over the Plains they display a strong meandering tendency and shift their courses frequently." This is what I ...
Curiouser and curiouser's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
142 views

Does the collision of India influence the geology and geography of some of the other mountains of Asia, or just the Himalayas and Tibet?

This here is a nice and lovely map of Asia. Note that the teardrop-shaped Tibetan Plateau dominates the map, and we have India to thank. For the last 50 million years, it has been pushing upwards, ...
JohnWDailey's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
95 views

Do warm-season Foehn winds occur in the Pacific Northwest?

Over the last 30 years, Foehn winds have led to wildfires affecting densely populated areas of the California coast. They're called Diablo winds in the north, and Santa Ana winds in the south. ...
spillthrill's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
685 views

Igneous and Sedimentary Rocks' Susceptibility to landslide

Which is more susceptible to landslide based on lithology compared to one another? Granite, Conglomerate, Sandstone, Mudstone I've been tasked to create a hazard map and was given a Geologic Map, ...
Account 1 Shlope's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
205 views

Is there really less diurnal temperature variation in the mountains than at sea level?

I live in the Los Angeles area, at sea level. Nearby we have tall mountains where I like to go hiking. I've noticed something strange about the NOAA forecasts, which is that the forecasts in the ...
user26085's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
604 views

Why doesn't one build pressurized camps at Mount Everest? [closed]

Why aren't permanently pressurized camps being built at Everest and any 23,000'+ mountain, and perhaps a pressurized enclosed platform at the very summit, to no longer have to bother about altitude ...
Giovanni's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
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What is the area of prominient peaks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matterhorn#/media/File:On_the_summit.jpg shows a climber on top of Matterhorn.It really looks like the area is quite small maybe 2 m^2. What is the typical area of ...
user877329's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
202 views

When did the proto-Himalayas become non-volcanic?

In the normal course of events, when continents move toward each other, at least one coast will be associated with a subduction zone and corresponding volcanic activity. When the Indian subcontinent ...
rwallace's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
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Water flows under the headwater and soil liquefaction has formed

A retaining wall 40 cm thick with variable height (thin-walled corner) is being built in the mountainous area. At the time of the geotechnical survey and design, there was no reservoir next to the ...
Risalat Bigachova's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
181 views

How can we know the past height of mountains?

In Feynman Lectures on Physics Volume I, Feynman talks about the relation between Physics and Geology. He says “Mountains are no lower today, on the average, than they were in the past”. Through what ...
PineappleThursday's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
206 views

How do the Andes get so high?

I'm interested in the limiting factors on the height of mountains. There is a very good explanation at https://www.quora.com/How-tall-can-a-mountain-become-on-Earth-Neil-deGrasse-Tyson-says-Mount-...
rwallace's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
85 views

Where can I find a list of mountain chains on the Earth?

I want to make an app for smartphones that lists the mountain chains of the world. Where can I find a list of all mountain chains that are presently outspread on the Earth?
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4 votes
1 answer
2k views

What will happen to the Indian plate after it slides under the Eurasian Plate?

What will happen if the Indian Plate is done sliding under the Eurasian plate? I hypothesied some possible answers. Tell me the answer and if my hypothesis is not correct. Most likely to least. It ...
Tardy's user avatar
  • 574
4 votes
0 answers
136 views

Why the difference between Italian coastlines and mountain ranges?

Italy’s relatively straight, parallel coastlines in the main part of the “boot” seem surprising given how the Apennines snake through it, from one side to the other and back. Don’t coastlines usually ...
ed94133's user avatar
  • 343
1 vote
0 answers
46 views

Is there a physical limit to the heights of mountains? [duplicate]

I am reading a fantasy novel where there is a mountain range where the average mountain height is 10 miles, so some higher some lower, but all extremely high. This got me wondering if such a mountain ...
Mr. Spock's user avatar
  • 111
3 votes
1 answer
515 views

How to properly distinguish a transversal valley from a longitudinal valley?

I'm confused about how to distinguish the two. Prior to making this question. I've read the wikipedia entry on the subject but it mentions that for example a transverse valley makes 90 degrees with ...
Chris Steinbeck Bell's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
53 views

Terracing in Mahad

my first time here! I was going down the rabbit hole after watching a video on YouTube that made me want to read about it on Wikipedia. It led me to this Picture: (View from Varandha Pass near Mahad ...
Cryogen's user avatar
  • 113
1 vote
2 answers
70 views

Are marine fossils in the mountain happens due to lower sea levels?

https://9gag.com/gag/aBme0M2 This one says it is I am not sure whether to ask this in geology or biology. How does marine fossils show up in mountains?
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
149 views

How did Mount Evans become a mountain?

Multiple websites state that the mountain, which is in Colorado, was formed by an intrusion of magma about 1.4 billion years ago, forming a batholith. On the other hand, the rocky mountains are said ...
heyydrien's user avatar
  • 111
26 votes
3 answers
6k views

Why is Olympus Mons the largest volcano in the whole solar system?

Why is it that the volcanoes found in the Tharsis Montes region near the Martian equator, (one of which is Olympus Mons) so much larger than those found on Earth. In comparison, Hawaii's Mauna Loa, ...
schizoid_man's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
4k views

How do mountain springs get their water?

I am curious how do mountain springs get their water. The water flowing from them eventually forms rivers. Is it only from rain and snow? Or does water also come from underground-below the mountain (...
Cristian M's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
342 views

Could the speed in which the plate is moving affect how quickly mountains rise?

In an episode of History Channel's How the Earth Was Made, there was a remark when India left the rest of Gondwana 80 million years ago only to collide with mainland Asia 50.5 million years ago. The ...
JohnWDailey's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
185 views

How Old Are the Verkhoyansk Mountains in Northeastern Russia?

The multi-brown "hand" at the middle of this image is the Verkhoyansk Mountain Range in northeastern Russia. The best information I got regarding its age is simply "Cretaceous". ...
JohnWDailey's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
298 views

Why are there no mountains higher than ~10 km? [duplicate]

Mars have several mountains above 10 km, with the highest being around 22 km (full list for Solar System here). Same for Io, Jupiter's moon. In contrast, the Earth has no mountain higher than 10.2 km (...
luchonacho's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
122 views

Cloud Formations Near Capetown

Why do clouds form a 'tablecloth' which exactly fits the top of Table Mountain near Capetown, South Africa? Something about the table top tailors the clouds to fit it exactly. The thickness is smooth ...
Michael Walsby's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
288 views

Temperate Rainforests

I have heard that the Appalachian Mountains is qualified as a temperate rainforest. What qualifies a temperate rainforest and what makes the Appalachian Mountains a temperate rainforest?
Ryan Amalfitano's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
161 views

Does erosion make mountains become higher?

Recently at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, I saw a display set that claimed erosion makes mountains rise higher, counterintuitively. The explanation was that the material removed ...
WillG's user avatar
  • 185
6 votes
3 answers
1k views

What is the impact of divergent tectonic plates on old mountain ranges?

I found this question, which is similar to what I'm wondering, but my question is slightly different: What happens if a new divergent boundary forms in a way that bisects a mountain range, especially ...
rvg's user avatar
  • 63
2 votes
2 answers
100 views

How do fold mountains form?

I know mountains form due to the collision of tectonic plates. But how does such a slow collision have such great impact as to create huge mountains. Is there any intuitive explanation for this?
Ashwin Rohit's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
156 views

Precipitation and Elevation

Does precipitation increase or decrease as elevation increases? Because I heard that in the mountains they get more precipitation due to the orographic effect and how the mountains drain the moisture ...
Ryan Amalfitano's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
123 views

Thunderstorms in Mountains

When you’re in the mountains for example like in the Appalachian Mountains, is thunder heard more easily from further away in the mountains rather than if you aren’t in the mountains?
Ryan Amalfitano's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
10k views

Height of Everest from base to top

It's relatively well known that Everest is the highest mountain above sea level, and that Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the tallest mountain from base to top. But how tall is Everest from base to top? Or to ...
posfan12's user avatar
  • 131
5 votes
4 answers
731 views

Are the cores of every mountain range igneous?

Every volcano is a mountain, but not every mountain is a volcano. Still, it strikes me that--at least for the mountain ranges I can think of in this moment--they all seem to have igneous cores. Is ...
Doug Peltz's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
268 views

Are the Olympic Mountains (in Washington state) geologically unique?

So it is my understanding the Washington's Olympic Mountains are basaltic mountains. The reason is that they formed from the upthrust of Ocean crust rather than continental crust as the Farallon plate ...
Mr X's user avatar
  • 203
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

What is the History of the Brooks Range?

This here is a map of the Brooks Range in northern Alaska: As you can see, it is an inland range shaped in a downward curve. Why is that? What is the history of the uplift of the Brooks Range? How ...
JohnWDailey's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Does subduction of continental crust happen at continental-continental convergent boundaries?

What exactly happens at a continental-continental (cc) convergent boundary? I read myself through the web for the last few days and what I came up with is that such a boundary will start as an oceanic-...
TheDyingOfLight's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
141 views

How high could snow form on a mountain?

I was reminded recently of a moment in the Eragon books where the main characters see a "tall" mountain range, and then after a minute realize that the white sky stretching up above them is just ...
Skyler's user avatar
  • 151