Portal:Mountains

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Introduction

View of the south side of the Santa Catalina Mountains as seen from Tucson, Arizona.

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). (Full article...)

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Selected mountain-related landform

A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.

The term top (mountain top) is generally used only for a mountain peak that is located at some distance from the nearest point of higher elevation. For example, a big, massive rock next to the main summit of a mountain is not considered a summit. Summits near a higher peak, with some prominence or isolation, but not reaching a certain cutoff value for the quantities, are often considered subsummits (or subpeaks) of the higher peak, and are considered part of the same mountain. A pyramidal peak is an exaggerated form produced by ice erosion of a mountain top. Summit may also refer to the highest point along a line, trail, or route. (Full article...)

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The Serra de Ibiapaba (Ibiapaba mountain) also known as Serra Grande, Chapada da Ibiabapa e Cuesta da Ibiapaba, is an upland in northeastern Brazil, which lies on the boundary of Piauí and Ceará states. The range runs north and south, extending from near the Atlantic coast in the north to connect with the Serra do Araripe, which forms the southern boundary of Ceará. The Poti River bisects the range, and the southern portion, between the Poti and the Serra do Araripe, is also known as the Serra Grande.

An attractive region for natural wealth which was already inhabited by various indigenous groups. People who lived already negotiating several natural products with European peoples, such as the French before them the arrival of the Portuguese. Initially inhabited by tabajaras and tapuias Indians, as the Iracema Indian woman who was bathing in the Bica do Ipú (Spout of Ipu) was fairly portrayed in the Iracema book by José de Alencar. (Full article...)

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Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than 150 to 200 °C (300 to 400 °F) and, often, elevated pressure of 100 megapascals (1,000 bar) or more, causing profound physical or chemical changes. During this process, the rock remains mostly in the solid state, but gradually recrystallizes to a new texture or mineral composition. The protolith may be an igneous, sedimentary, or existing metamorphic rock.

Metamorphic rocks make up a large part of the Earth's crust and form 12% of the Earth's land surface. They are classified by their protolith, their chemical and mineral makeup, and their texture. They may be formed simply by being deeply buried beneath the Earth's surface, where they are subject to high temperatures and the great pressure of the rock layers above. They can also form from tectonic processes such as continental collisions, which cause horizontal pressure, friction, and distortion. Metamorphic rock can be formed locally when rock is heated by the intrusion of hot molten rock called magma from the Earth's interior. The study of metamorphic rocks (now exposed at the Earth's surface following erosion and uplift) provides information about the temperatures and pressures that occur at great depths within the Earth's crust. (Full article...)

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Selected climbing article

Aid climber using aiders (or ladders) on an overhang

Aid climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses mechanical devices and equipment, such as aiders (or ladders), for upward momentum. Aid climbing is different than free climbing (which can be performed as traditional or sport free climbing), which only uses mechanical equipment for protection, but not to assist in upward momentum. "Aid climbing" sometimes involves hammering in pitons and bolts, into which aiders are clipped, but there is also "clean aid climbing" which avoids hammering, using only removable placements.

While aid climbing traces its origins to the start of all climbing when ladders and pitons were common, its use in single-pitch climbing waned in the early 20th century with the rise of free climbing. At the same time, the Dolomites became the birthplace of modern "big wall aid climbing", where pioneers like Emilio Comici developed the early tools and techniques. Aid climbing's "golden age" was in the 1960s and 1970s on Yosemite's granite big walls led by pioneers such as Royal Robbins and Warren Harding, and later Jim Bridwell, and was also where Robbins' ethos of minimal-aid, and Yvon Chouinard's ethos of "clean aid climbing", became dominant. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

Selected skiing article

The pivot turn or pivot is a technique of turning in place in skiing. The two types are the tail pivot and tip pivot.

In the tail pivot, e.g., to the left, little turning steps are done to the left while keeping the tails of the skis together in place. Repeat the following two steps until the required amount of turn is reached: step the front of the left ski to the left with its tail in place, bring the right ski to the left ski. The tip pivot is similar, done while keeping the ski tips in place while moving the tails. (Full article...)

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