Portal:Mountains

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Introduction

Uluguru Mountains, in Tanzania

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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In physical geography, a fjord or fiord (/ˈfjɔːrd, fiːˈɔːrd/ ^ⓘ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the northern and southern hemispheres. Norway's coastline is estimated to be 29,000 km (18,000 mi) long with its nearly 1,200 fjords, but only 2,500 km (1,600 mi) long excluding the fjords. (Full article...)

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Looking towards Sawel and Dart mountains

The Sperrins or Sperrin Mountains (Irish: Sliabh Speirín) are a mountain range in Northern Ireland. The range stretches from Strabane and Mullaghcarn in the west, to Slieve Gallion and the Glenshane Pass in the east, in the counties of Tyrone and Londonderry. The landscape is mostly moorland and blanket bog. The region has a population of some 150,000 and is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. (Full article...)

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Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic landforms. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and size of the fragments ejected during the eruption. Types of volcanic cones include stratocones, spatter cones, tuff cones, and cinder cones. (Full article...)

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High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is a medical condition in which the brain swells with fluid because of the physiological effects of traveling to a high altitude. It generally appears in patients who have acute mountain sickness and involves disorientation, lethargy, and nausea among other symptoms. It occurs when the body fails to acclimatize while ascending to a high altitude.

It appears to be a vasogenic edema (fluid penetration of the blood–brain barrier), although cytotoxic edema (cellular retention of fluids) may play a role as well. Individuals with the condition must immediately descend to a lower altitude or coma and death can occur. Patients are usually given supplemental oxygen and dexamethasone as well. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Altitude sickness warning – Indian Army

Altitude sickness, the mildest form being acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a harmful effect of high altitude, caused by rapid exposure to low amounts of oxygen at high elevation. People can respond to high altitude in different ways. Symptoms may include headaches, vomiting, tiredness, confusion, trouble sleeping, and dizziness. Acute mountain sickness can progress to high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) with associated shortness of breath or high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) with associated confusion. Chronic mountain sickness may occur after long-term exposure to high altitude.

Altitude sickness typically occurs only above 2,500 metres (8,000 ft), though some are affected at lower altitudes. Risk factors include a prior episode of altitude sickness, a high degree of activity, and a rapid increase in elevation. Diagnosis is based on symptoms and is supported for those who have more than a minor reduction in activities. It is recommended that at high altitude any symptoms of headache, nausea, shortness of breath, or vomiting be assumed to be altitude sickness. (Full article...)

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