Mountain Formation and Types

• Mountains are hills at least 1000 meters high.
• Mountains cover approximately 20% of the Earth and exist on every continent.

Earth's Crust and Mountain Formation

• The Earth's crust consists of giant plates that move due to heat energy circulation.
• Gradual movement, colliding plates, and moving magma have formed mountains.

Fold Mountains

• Fold mountains form when two plates collide on land or under the sea.
• Giant folds are created as enormous plates move towards each other.

Block Mountains

• Plates on the Earth's crust break apart as they move.
• A piece of land is forced upwards while land on either side is pushed down, creating 'block mountains'.

Fault-Block Mountains

• The Earth's pressure causes plates to pull and stretch.
• Pulling and stretching causes small cracks within the crust.
• Some crust parts sink, while others rise, forming rectangular blocks, known as fault-block mountains.

Dome Mountains

• Dome mountains form when magma deep underneath the Earth's surface pushes upwards.
• Over time, the ground wears away, revealing the dome mountain.

Volcanic Mountains

• Mountains form when red-hot magma erupts, cools, and piles up.

Lithosphere and Mountain Formation

• The lithosphere, a combination of the crust and deep rock layer, impacts mountain formation.
• Tectonic plates, which are large stone plates on the crust, allow for ongoing mountain formation.

Famous Mountains

• Mountains are landscapes with steep slopes rising over 300m, or 600m according to some geographers.
• Mountains can be in groups called ranges, or isolated summits.

Mt. Kilimanjaro

• Location: Tanzania, East Africa.
• Highest Peak: 5895m.
• Over 150 mammal species have been recorded, including the blue monkey and the white-necked raven.
• Rare sightings of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and porcupines occur in the lower regions.
• Multiple routes exist to ascend Kilimanjaro, with the snow-capped Uruhu Peak as the highest summit.
• Covered with glacier ice.
• Glaciers have shrunk 80% since 1912 and may be ice-free within 20 years.
• The volcanic peaks Shira and Mawenzi are extinct, but Kibo, the highest peak, is dormant.
• The last major eruption: 360,009 years ago.
• Contains examples of virtually every ecosystem: glacier, snowfields, deserts, alpine, moorland, savannah and tropical jungles.
• Three volcanic cones: Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo.

Mt. Everest

• Location: Himalayas, Nepal.
• Highest Peak: 8848m.
• Wildlife: Himalayan black bear, Himalayan tahr, snow leopard, red panda, and musk deer.
• Thousands of recorded expeditions to the summit.
• The British expedition involving Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay completed the first confirmed assault in 1953.
• Part of the Himalayan mountain range, straddling Nepal and Tibet.
• Over 60 million years old.
• It consists of shale, limestone, and marble.

K2

• Location: Himalayas, Pakistan/China border.
• Highest Peak: 8611m.
• Includes the Himalayan wild yak and wild goat, with over 300 mammal species inhabiting the Himalayas.
• It is the second-highest mountain and considered one of the most dangerous to ascend.
• Located on the Pakistan-Chinese border.
• Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli completed the first ascent in 1954.
• Also called 'Chagori', meaning "large mountain".

Denali

• Location: Alaska, USA.
• Highest Peak: 6190m.
• Wolves, bears, caribou, and moose inhabit the national park.
• Dall sheep and various bird species live high up the mountain.
• Climbed regularly, taking two to four weeks for an ascent.
• Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli completed the first ascent in 1954.
• Formerly known as Mount McKinley, but renamed Denali in 2015.

Punyak Jaya (peak)

• Location: Mount Jayawijaya, Indonesia.
• Highest Peak: 4884m.
• Features wildlife similar to Australasia, including tree kangaroos, wallabies, and bandicoots.
• Ascending the mountain involves a route through dense jungle with lots of rainfall, making it a difficult trek.

Mount Elbrus

• Location: Caucasus Mountains, Russia.
• Highest Peak: 5642m.
• The region is inhabited by the Caucasian red deer, Syrian brown bear, and Eurasian wolf.
• Considered the highest mountain in Europe, with a cable car operating in the lower regions.

Mount Fuji

• Location: Japan.
• Highest Peak: 3776 m.
• Squirrels, foxes, and birds are commonly spotted, with rare sightings of black bears and the Japanese serow.
• Best climbing season: early July to mid-September.
• Popular climbing location during a festival week in August.
• A historic site symbolizing Japan, inspiring artists and poets for centuries.
• Mount Fuji is an active volcano but has not erupted since 1708.