Ask Dr. Universe: How are mountains formed?

Washington State University

Dr Universe: How are mountains formed? – Zane, 8 years old

Dear Zane,

When you walk on earth, you are walking on the rocky crust of the Earth. Under the crust is another thick layer of rock. These layers form the Earth’s tectonic plates, and when these plates collide with each other, they often form mountains.

To learn more about the formation of mountains, I visited my friend Julie Ménard, professor at Washington State University and very curious about geology.

“When the collision occurs, a plate doesn’t just overlap,” she said. “The plates will just push together, and over a long period of time a mountain will form.”

M̩nard told me that these tectonic plates are huge. The plates are about 77 miles thick and move very slowly Рjust 2-3 inches per year. When the two plates come together, they push the rock upward. It may take 10 million years for the mountain to rise.

The plates move slowly, but when they collide they can not only help build a mountain, but also shake things up. The movement of the plates can also cause earthquakes.

Menard reminded me that many mountain ranges on our planet are forming right now. The Himalayas, which are among the youngest mountains on the planet, grow by around one centimeter per year. Mount Everest is part of the Himalayas and is the highest peak on Earth.

Meanwhile, the Appalachians are among the oldest mountains in North America, but they are not very tall compared to some of the youngest mountains on the continent. When wind, water, and other elements of nature interact with the mountain, the rock undergoes a process called erosion and wears away over time.

As mountains form, they create ecosystems for all kinds of life – from ants to alpacas to mountain goats to gorillas. Water is also an important part of our mountain ecosystems. When snow melts from mountains and flows into streams and rivers, it helps provide water to many living things.

Menard said one of his favorite mountain ranges to explore is the Rockies, a range that stretches over 3,000 miles. Maybe you can do a mountain survey. Find out which mountain is the highest in your state, region or even submarine near you. Then study how and when it was formed.

Maybe you even have a volcano in your neighborhood. Volcanoes are a kind of mountain, but they don’t form exactly the same way as mountains that are not volcanic. See if you can learn more about the difference between the two.

When we ask big questions about the landscape around us, we are compelled to discover something new and exciting about this planet we call our home.

Truly,

Dr Universe

Ask Dr. Universe is a Washington State University project. Submit a question to [email protected].