Mountains Geography

Front 1

What is a mountain range?

Back 1

A mountain range is a chain/line of mountains, usually joined together.

Front 2

What is a Ecosystem? What is a mountain ecosystem?

Back 2

An ecosystem is a community oforganisms interacting with each other. A mountain ecosystem is the interactions of organisms living on a mountain.

Provides:

-Habitats

-Circle of life (ecology)

Front 3

What is a Glacier?

Back 3

-Glacier is a frozen river.

-Form when snow remains in one location long enough to transform into ice. What makes glaciers unique is their ability to move. Due to sheer mass, glaciers flow like very slow rivers. It is normally running water during warmer temperatures and slowly moving water during cooler temperatures.

Front 4

What is a U-shaped valley?

Back 4

A U-shaped valley is/was usually an olg glacial valley that has been flooded. It is normally in the shape of a 'U'. It is formed by the process of glaciation (eroding of soil by ice).

Front 5

What is a V-shaped valley?

Back 5

A V-shaped valley is a valleyformed by flowing water/river. A river transports the rocks downstream and the channel becomes wider and deeper creating a V-shaped valley between interlocking spurs.

Front 6

What are tectonic plates?

Back 6

-Layersof the Earth’s crust split and make tectonic plates.

-Can be under land or underthe sea

Front 7

What are some characteristics of mountains?

Back 7

-high altitude

-steep slopes

-usually found in mountain chains

-small summit area

-temperatures fall with altitude

-high local relief (difference in height between mountain peaks and valleys=HIGH local relief)

-air becomes thinner

Front 8

What is a convergent plate boundary?

Back 8

-plates colliding with each other

-moving towards each other

-Creates subduction zones

Front 9

What is a divergent plate boundary?

Back 9

-plates moving away from each other

-formvolcanic islands which occur when the plates move apart to produce gaps which molten lava rises to fill

Front 10

What is a transform plate boundary?

Back 10

-plates scraping/sliding past each other

-sliding motion causes lots of earthquakes

Front 11

What is an earthquake?

Back 11

-Sudden violent shaking of the ground, typically causing great destruction

-Result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action

Front 12

What are fold mountains?

Back 12

-forms when convergent plates collide

-upturned folds: anticlines

-downturned folds: synclines

Front 13

What are block mountains?

Back 13

-happens when Earth’scrust cracks and splits into separate sections

-forms when divergent plates separate

-almost like a valley

Front 14

What are dome mountains?

Back 14

-formed when magma in the earth's crust pushes it;s way towards the surface

-magma colls before it can erupt, cools, then leaves a dome/bump on the mountain

Front 15

What is a volcano?

Back 15

-A mountain/hill having a crater/vent through which lava, rock, hot vapour and gasescape

Front 16

What is an Avalanche?

Back 16

-Amass of snow, ice and rocks and earth that breaks away from a mountainside

Front 17

Define erosion.

Back 17

- Process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents.

- Gradual destruction or diminution of something

Front 18

Define weathering. List the types of weathering.

Back 18

- process of wearing away and breaking down of rock material

-chemical and physical weathering

Front 19

What is the difference between weathering and erosion?

Back 19

Weathering:

-breaking down of rocks

-in situ (stays in same place)

Erosion:

-eroded by natural agents (wind, water, etc)

-breaks down into particles

-goes away/does NOT stay in same place

Front 20

What is a fault line?

Back 20

-where 2 tectonic plates meet

-a line on a rock surface or the ground that traces a geological fault

Front 21

What is ecotourism?

Back 21

Tourismdirected towards supporting the environment/wildlife

Front 22

What is eco trekking?

Back 22

-Nepal;trekkers help to improve the environment by cleaning up their rubbish andrecycling

Front 23

Name and explain how ecosystemschange with altitude on mountains.

Back 23

For example,the high alpine environment of a mountain provides no plants, no oxygen,shallow soil and high wind exposure. It is consistently cold and has snow andice all year round. Therefore, no organisms can live there. On the other hand;the Evergreen forest provides vegetation to thrive

Front 24

What are the key features of mountain climateand weather?

Back 24

There areabout 5 environment “levels of ecosystems” on a mountain. The high alpineenvironment, the tundra environment, the coniferous forest environment, thedeciduous forest environment and the rainforest/evergreen forest environment.Decrease in temperature features from the summit to the foot of the mountain.

Front 25

What causes tectonic plates to move?

Back 25

-Plates at our planet's surface move becauseof the intense heat in the Earth's core that causes molten rockin the mantle layer to move. It moves in a pattern called a convection cellthat forms when warm material rises, cools, and eventually sink down

Front 26

What happens at a convergent plate boundary?What kind of landforms are created? Give an example.

Back 26

Convergent plates collide and formFOLD MOUNTAINS. The Himalayas were created by the collision of India and China,therefore, forming Fold Mountains.

Front 27

What happens at a divergent plate boundary? What kind of landforms are created? Give on example.

Back 27

Divergent plates diverge (separate)and form BLOCK MOUNTAINS. The Sierra Nevada mountain range were formed by theseparation of the Earth’s crust, therefore, forming Block Mountains

Front 28

What feature is found where lateral plates slide past each other? Whathappens when plates slide past each other?

Back 28

They form oceanic rift zones/oceanic spreading ridge. When oceanic or continental plates slide past each other in opposite directions, or move in the same direction but at different speeds, a transform fault boundary is formed. No new crust is created or subducted, and no volcanoes form, but earthquakes occur along the fault.

Front 29

How are volcanoes formed?

Back 29

Volcanoes are formed when magma from within the Earth'supper mantle works its way to the surface. At the surface, it erupts to formlava flows and ash deposits. Over time as the volcano continues toerupt, it will get bigger and bigger

Front 30

What are the causes of an avalanche? How do people who live in mountainareas try to control the damage caused by avalanches?

Back 30

Avalanches can be caused by many different things. Some of themare natural. For example, new snow or rain can cause accumulated snow suddenly to dislodge and cascade down theside of a mountain. Earthquakes and the natural movements of animals have alsobeen known to cause avalanches.

Front 31

What 3 erosive forcesshape the mountains?

Back 31

Snow,wind and ice are forces that shape the mountains.

Front 32

Who are the Sherpas?

Back 32

TheSherpas are an ethnic group of people from the most mountainous region ofNepal, high in the Himalayas

Front 33

What is a convection current?

Back 33

Heat energy can transfer by convection when there is a significant difference in temperature between two parts of a fluid. When this temperature difference exists, hot fluids rise and cold fluids sink, and then currents, or movements, are created in the fluid

Front 34

What is a subduction Zone?

Back 34

-formed by converging plates (colliding)

-plates/or land overlapping with other creating plates over older plates

Front 35

Why are avalanches called 'the White Death' to people living in the alps?

Back 35

-powerful and dangerous force

-unstoppable

-rocks, ice, snows, trees= dangerous!

-excessive force

-white in colour

Front 36

What is a natural hazard? List some examples.

Back 36

-extreme event relating to the environment

-heavy rain, strong winds, earth movement

-exceed normal human expectations

-can cause serious damage and loss of life

Front 37

What are the causes of an avalanche?

Back 37

-sounds

-vibrations

-movement

-too musch snow built up (falling by it's own weight)

Front 38

What does 'in situ' mean?

Back 38

In its original place. (e.g. The weathering of a rock is 'in situ')

Front 39

Where are the Himalayas located?

Back 39

-TheHimalayas are located in Tibet

-Between China and India

Front 40

What is a dormant volcano?

Back 40

-AKA sleeping volcanoes

-Active, not extinct

Front 41

What percentage of the Earth is covered by mountains?

Back 41

Either 20% or 24%.

Front 42

How do the local people of the alps protect themselves from natural hazards? (Such as Avalanches?)

Back 42

People local to mountains help reduce the risk of anavalanche by using explosives to shift/lighten the weight of excess snow. Ifthere ever was an avalanche, locals use forests and snow shields to dampen theimpact of an avalanche

Front 43

How do the Sherpas rely on tourism?

Back 43

.The Sherpas rely highly on tourism because it provides them with jobs

Front 44

What the positive and negative impacts of trekking and tourism in the Himalayas?

Back 44

Thepositive impacts of trekking and tourism include; jobs for the Sherpas, the“once in a lifetime” experience for tourists/visitors.

Front 45

How can this assist in protecting the area? How else can we protectmountain areas?

Back 45

Wecan also protect the mountains by reducing the number of visitors per year andlimit the use of certain products (such as soaps) to help with reduction ofpollution. By helping the environment of the mountains to thrive, hopefully,the mountains might stay/thrive for our future generations.