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Appalachian Mountains

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

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Drumlins around Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin, in an area with one of the highest concentration of drumlins in the world. The curved path of the Laurentide Ice Sheet is evident in the orientation of the various mounds.

A drumlin, from the Irish word droimnín ("little ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine. Assemblages of drumlins are referred to as fields or swarms; they can create a landscape which is often described as having a 'basket of eggs topography'. (Full article...)

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The Ligurian Alps are a mountain range in northwestern Italy. A small part is located in France. They form the south-western extremity of the Alps, separated from the Apennines by the Colle di Cadibona. The Col de Tende and the Vermenagna valley separate them from the Maritime Alps. They form the border between Piedmont in the north and Liguria in the south. (Full article...)

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A group of mud volcanoes in Gobustan, Azerbaijan

A mud volcano or mud dome is a landform created by the eruption of mud or slurries, water and gases. Several geological processes may cause the formation of mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes are not true igneous volcanoes as they do not produce lava and are not necessarily driven by magmatic activity. Mud volcanoes may range in size from merely 1 or 2 meters high and 1 or 2 meters wide, to 700 meters high and 10 kilometers wide. Smaller mud exudations are sometimes referred to as mud-pots.

The mud produced by mud volcanoes is mostly formed as hot water, which has been heated deep below the Earth's surface, begins to mix and blend with subterranean mineral deposits, thus creating the mud slurry exudate. This material is then forced upwards through a geological fault or fissure due to local subterranean pressure imbalances. Mud volcanoes are associated with subduction zones and about 1100 have been identified on or near land. The temperature of any given active mud volcano generally remains fairly steady and is much lower than the typical temperatures found in igneous volcanoes. Mud volcano temperatures can range from near 100 °C (212 °F) to occasionally 2 °C (36 °F), some being used as popular "mud baths". (Full article...)

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Altitude sickness warning – Indian Army

Altitude sickness, the mildest form being acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a harmful effect of high altitude, caused by rapid exposure to low amounts of oxygen at high elevation. People can respond to high altitude in different ways. Symptoms may include headaches, vomiting, tiredness, confusion, trouble sleeping, and dizziness. Acute mountain sickness can progress to high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) with associated shortness of breath or high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) with associated confusion. Chronic mountain sickness may occur after long-term exposure to high altitude.

Altitude sickness typically occurs only above 2,500 metres (8,000 ft), though some are affected at lower altitudes. Risk factors include a prior episode of altitude sickness, a high degree of activity, and a rapid increase in elevation. Diagnosis is based on symptoms and is supported for those who have more than a minor reduction in activities. It is recommended that at high altitude any symptoms of headache, nausea, shortness of breath, or vomiting be assumed to be altitude sickness. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Iranian oak scrub in the Zagros Mountains (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 2Fuji volcano (from Mountain)
Image 3Illustration of mountains that developed on a fold that has been thrust (from Mountain)
Image 4Temperate montane forest in Bavaria, Germany (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 5This 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 6Antique climbing tools (from Mountaineering)
Image 7Fixed lines and ladders are distinguishing characteristics of expedition style mountaineering (from Mountaineering)
Image 8Alpine flora near Cascade Pass (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 9Chimborazo, Ecuador, whose summit is the point farthest away from the Earth's center (from Mountain)
Image 10Car of Horská služba (Czech Republic) (from Mountain rescue)
Image 11Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain (from Mountain)
Image 12Mountaineers proceed across snow fields on South Tyrol; other climbers are visible further up the slopes. (from Mountaineering)
Image 13A mountain rescue team in Iran moving a casualty. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 14Everest 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 15The 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 16The northern Urals at high latitude and elevation have an alpine climate and barren ground. (from Mountain)
Image 17An alpine mire in the Swiss Alps (from Mountain)
Image 18Winter campers bivouaced in the snow (from Mountaineering)
Image 19Tropical montane forest at around 2,000 m in Malaysia (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 20Mountaineers climbing in South Tyrol (from Mountain)
Image 21Alpine landscape below Malyovitsa Peak, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 22The Catskills in Upstate New York represent an eroded plateau. (from Mountain)
Image 23Choppering out the injured – with Mt. Forbes in the background (from Mountain rescue)
Image 24Mountaineers, c. 1900 (from Mountaineering)
Image 25Mont Blanc in Aosta Valley, Italy, the highest point in the European Union (from Mountain)
Image 26British 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 27The city of La Paz reaches up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in elevation. (from Mountain)
Image 28Mountain rescue team members and other services attend to a casualty in Freiburg Germany. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 29Montes Apenninus on the Moon was formed by an impact event. (from Mountain range)
Image 30The Namcha Barwa Himal, east part of the Himalayas as seen from space by Apollo 9 (from Mountain range)
Image 31Cabane du Trient, a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps (from Mountaineering)
Image 32A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 33Climber approaching the summit of Manaslu at 8,163 metres (from Mountaineering)
Image 34Stretcher box in Cumbria, England, prepositioned equipment saves mountain rescue teams having to trudge up mountains with it. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 35Edelweiss, a plant associated with mountain sports (from Mountaineering)
Image 36Climbers ascending Mount Rainier looking at Little Tahoma Peak (from Mountaineering)
Image 37Edward Whymper (1840–1911), painting by Lance Calkin (from Mountaineering)
Image 38Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria, part of the fault-block Rila-Rhodope massif (from Mountain)
Image 39A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forests (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 40The Ocean Ridge, the world's longest mountain range (chain) (from Mountain range)
Image 41Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, is known for its montane vegetation. (from Montane ecosystems)

Selected skiing article

A skier wearing a helmet and goggles — German ski jumper Svenja Würth helmet and goggles

A ski helmet is a helmet specifically designed and constructed for winter sports. Use was rare until about 2000, but by about 2010 the majority of skiers and snowboarders in the US and Europe wore helmets. Helmets are available in many styles and typically consist of a hard plastic/resin shell with inner padding. Modern ski helmets may include many additional features, such as vents, earmuffs, headphones, goggle mounts, and camera mounts. (Full article...)

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