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Appalachian Mountains

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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Fluvial terraces are elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and fluvial valleys all over the world. They consist of a relatively level strip of land, called a "tread", separated from either an adjacent floodplain, other fluvial terraces, or uplands by distinctly steeper strips of land called "risers". These terraces lie parallel to and above the river channel and its floodplain. Because of the manner in which they form, fluvial terraces are underlain by fluvial sediments of highly variable thickness. River terraces are the remnants of earlier floodplains that existed at a time when either a stream or river was flowing at a higher elevation before its channel downcut to create a new floodplain at a lower elevation. Changes in elevation can be due to changes in the base level (elevation of the lowest point in the fluvial system, usually the drainage basin) of the fluvial system, which leads to headward erosion along the length of either a stream or river, gradually lowering its elevation. For example, downcutting by a river can lead to increased velocity of a tributary, causing that tributary to erode toward its headwaters. Terraces can also be left behind when the volume of the fluvial flow declines due to changes in climate, typical of areas which were covered by ice during periods of glaciation, and their adjacent drainage basins. (Full article...)

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Northern England and adjoining areas, showing the general extent of the Pennines

The Pennines (/ˈpɛnaɪnz/), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of uplands mainly located in Northern England. Commonly described as the "backbone of England" because of its length and position, the range runs from Derbyshire and Staffordshire in the North Midlands to Northumberland in North East England, near the Anglo-Scottish border. The range starts near the valley of the River Trent to the south and extends northwards across the Peak District, South Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, and North Pennines, ending at the Tyne Gap. Beyond the gap are the Border Moors and Cheviot Hills, which are included in some definitions of the range.

The Pennines are deeply indented by valleys, and the range is divided into two by the Aire Gap, a wide pass formed by the valleys of the rivers Aire and Ribble. There are several spurs off the main Pennine range east of the gap, into Lancashire, comprising the Rossendale Fells, West Pennine Moors and the Bowland Fells. The Howgill Fells and Orton Fells in Cumbria are also sometimes considered to be Pennine spurs. The Pennines are an important water catchment area, with numerous reservoirs in the head streams of the river valleys. (Full article...)

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In volcanology, a pyroclastic shield or ignimbrite shield is an uncommon type of shield volcano. Unlike most shield volcanoes, pyroclastic shields are formed mostly of pyroclastic and highly explosive eruptions rather than relatively fluid basaltic lava issuing from vents or fissures on the surface of the volcano. They typically display low-angle flank slopes and often have a central caldera caused by large eruptions. Lava is commonly extruded after explosive activity has ended. The paucity of associated Plinian fall deposits indicates that pyroclastic shields are characterized by low Plinian columns.

Pyroclastic shields are commonly known to form in the Central Andes of South America, as well as in Melanesia (the island of Bougainville alone has two). There are also pyroclastic shields in Africa, such as Emi Koussi in Chad. (Full article...)

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Gaiters are garments worn over the shoe and bottom of the pant or trouser leg and used primarily as personal protective equipment, in particular against snakebite; similar garments used primarily for display are spats.

Originally, gaiters were made of leather or canvas. Today, those for walking are commonly made of plasticized synthetic cloth such as nylon or polyester. Gaiters for use on horseback continue to be made of leather. They are made to cover the gap between the pants and boots, rising to just below the knee, and usually have drawcords for tightening. Wearing gaiters, while preventing most snake bites, does not provide complete protection. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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A ski lodge or day lodge is a building located in a ski area that provides amenities such as food, beverages, seating area, restrooms, and locker rooms for skiers and snowboarders. Larger resorts have a day lodge at each base area and also at mid-mountain, summit, or remote locations within the ski area.

Ski lodge can also refer to a resort area hotel such as Timberline Lodge in Oregon, or a ski club owned building with meeting space and overnight accommodations for members. (Full article...)

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