Mountain range
A
mountain range is a group of
mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by
passes or rivers. Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geology; they may be a mix of different
orogeny, for example
volcanoes, uplifted mountains or
fold mountains and may, therefore, be of different rock.
A range of mountains (often elongated) may be caused by
tectonic plate interactions. For example, the
Himalaya in
Asia are the result of the
Indian plate hitting the Asian plate, causing a 'crumple zone' near the line of impact. Sometimes, one
tectonic plate can become pushed beneath another. The top plate scrapes off the material which builds up to form mountains, this happens over millions of years. Volcanoes can arise for this reason. An example is
Vesuvius.
Singular mountains are often the result of
volcanic processes but, in some instances such as the
Hawaiian Islands, these processes can result in a chain of mountains that might be considered a mountain range.
Uplifted regions or volcanic caps can undergo erosion, resulting in a range of mountains. An example is the
English Lake District. Mountain streams carry eroded debris downhill and deposit it in
alluvial plains or in
deltas. This forms the classical geological chain of events, leading to one type of
sedimentary rock formation:
erosion,
transportation,
deposition and
compaction.
Mountain ranges can support different terrestrial
biomes, at varying altitudes: at the bottom, they may have
grassland, then a
coniferous forest or
boreal forest, then
tundra at the top.
The
Andes is the world's longest mountain range. The Himalaya contains the world's highest mountains.
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List of mountain ranges
