Portal:Mountains

WikiProject

Discussion

Introduction

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); some scientists consider it to be the tallest on earth. (Full article...)

Selected mountain-related landform

In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; /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...)

Selected mountain range

View of Pennine Alps from Riederalp

The Pennine Alps (French: Alpes Pennines, German: Walliser Alpen, Italian: Alpi Pennine, Latin: Alpes Poeninae), sometimes referred to as the Valais Alps (which are just the Northern Swiss part of the Pennine Alps), are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Italy (the Aosta Valley and Piedmont) and Switzerland (Valais).

The Pennine Alps are amongst the three highest major subranges of the Alps, together with the Bernese Alps and the Graian Alps that include the Mont Blanc massif. (Full article...)

Selected mountain type

Emi Koussi seen from International Space Station

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...)

Selected climbing article

Chest x-ray of HAPE showing characteristic patchy alveolar infiltrates with right middle lobe predominance.

High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a life-threatening form of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema that occurs in otherwise healthy people at altitudes typically above 2,500 meters (8,200 ft). HAPE is a severe presentation of altitude sickness. Cases have also been reported between 1,500–2,500 metres or 4,900–8,200 feet in people who are at a higher risk or are more vulnerable to the effects of high altitude.

Classically, HAPE occurs in people normally living at low altitude who travel to an altitude above 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). Re-entry HAPE has been described in people who normally live at high altitude but who develop pulmonary edema after returning from a stay at low altitude. Symptoms include crackling sounds when breathing, dyspnea (at rest), and cyanosis. The primary treatment is descent to a lower altitude, with oxygen therapy and medication as alternatives. If HAPE is not treated, there is a 50% risk of mortality. (Full article...)

Related portals

General images

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

Image 1Mountaineers proceed across snow fields on South Tyrol; other climbers are visible further up the slopes. (from Mountaineering)
Image 2Temperate montane forest in Bavaria, Germany (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 3Edelweiss, a plant associated with mountain sports (from Mountaineering)
Image 4Mountaineers climbing in South Tyrol, Italy (from Mountain)
Image 5Alpine landscape below Malyovitsa Peak, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 6Tropical montane forest at around 2,000 m in Malaysia (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 7The Ocean Ridge, the world's longest mountain range (chain) (from Mountain range)
Image 8Fixed lines and ladders are distinguishing characteristics of expedition style mountaineering (from Mountaineering)
Image 9Climbers ascending Mount Rainier looking at Little Tahoma Peak, United States (from Mountaineering)
Image 10Edmund Hillary (left) and Tenzing Norgay after successfully completing the first ascent of Mount Everest, 29 May 1953
Image 11An alpine mire in the Swiss Alps (from Mountain)
Image 12Alpine flora near Cascade Pass (from Montane ecosystem)
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 14Choppering out the injured – with Mt. Forbes in the background (from Mountain rescue)
Image 15Car of Horská služba (Czech Republic) (from Mountain rescue)
Image 16The city of La Paz reaches up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in elevation. Mount Illimani dominates the city's skyline. (from Mountain)
Image 17The Namcha Barwa Himal, east part of the Himalayas as seen from space by Apollo 9 (from Mountain range)
Image 18This 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 19The northern Urals at high latitude and elevation have an alpine climate and barren ground. (from Mountain)
Image 20Cabane du Trient, a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps (from Mountaineering)
Image 21Iranian oak scrub in the Zagros Mountains (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 22Treeline elevation by latitude (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 23Mont Blanc on the border between Aosta Valley, Italy, and Haute-Savoie, France, the highest point in the European Union (from Mountain)
Image 24Mountaineers, c. 1900 (from Mountaineering)
Image 25Illustration of mountains that developed on a fold that has been thrust (from Mountain)
Image 26A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 27Antique climbing tools (from Mountaineering)
Image 28The Dolomite Mountains, Italy, in summer. The climate of the Dolomites is characterized by short but warm and mild summers, while winters are long and very cold. (from Mountain)
Image 29Chimborazo, Ecuador, whose summit is the point farthest away from the Earth's center (from Mountain)
Image 30Distribution of mountains by location and elevation (from Mountain)
Image 31Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria, part of the fault-block Rila-Rhodope massif (from Mountain)
Image 32Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, is known for its montane vegetation. (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 33Climber approaching the summit of Manaslu at 8,163 metres (from Mountaineering)
Image 34K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, is revered for its isolation, difficulty, and the profound sense of awe it inspires among climbers. Many alpinists describe ascents of peaks like K2 as deeply spiritual experiences, combining physical challenge with introspection and transcendence. (from Mountaineering)
Image 35Winter campers bivouaced in the snow (from Mountaineering)
Image 36British 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 37Everest 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 38Edward Whymper (1840–1911), painting by Lance Calkin (from Mountaineering)
Image 39Montes Apenninus on the Moon was formed by an impact event. (from Mountain range)
Image 40Apennine Mountains and Trebbia river, Italy (from Mountain)
Image 41A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forests (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 42Fuji volcano (from Mountain)
Image 43Stretcher box in Cumbria, England, prepositioned equipment saves mountain rescue teams having to trudge up mountains with it. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 44Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain (from Mountain)

Selected skiing article

The Ski Club of Great Britain is a not-for-profit recreational snow sports club. It was founded on 6 May 1903 during a meeting at the Hotel Café Royal in London. Until the 1960s, the Ski Club of Great Britain was responsible for British Alpine ski racing teams.

In April 2020, the Ski Club had about 23,000 members, making it the largest membership-based snow sports club in the UK. (Full article...)