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The definition of a mountain often includes a minimum elevation threshold, such as 600 meters above the surrounding terrain, though this is not universally applied.
Answer: True
While definitions vary, a common threshold used to distinguish a mountain from a hill is an elevation of at least 600 meters (approximately 2,000 feet) above the surrounding terrain. However, this is not a universally applied standard.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a mountain based on its relative prominence and notable altitude compared to its surroundings, not solely on absolute elevation above sea level.
Answer: True
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a mountain as a natural elevation of the Earth's surface that rises more or less abruptly from the surrounding level and attains an altitude that is impressive or notable relative to the adjacent elevation.
The UN Environmental Programme employs a classification system for mountainous environments that considers both elevation and slope, rather than a single, fixed elevation threshold.
Answer: True
The UNEP's classification of mountainous environments utilizes criteria including elevation range and slope steepness, providing a nuanced approach beyond a simple elevation cutoff.
What is a key characteristic that distinguishes a mountain from a plateau, according to the provided definitions?
Answer: Mountains typically have a limited summit area, unlike a plateau.
A key distinction is that mountains generally possess a limited summit area, whereas plateaus are characterized by broad, relatively flat tops.
By which standard metric is Mount Everest recognized as the highest mountain on Earth?
Answer: Elevation above mean sea level
Mount Everest's status as the highest mountain is determined by its elevation above mean sea level, which is the standard measurement used globally.
According to the UN Environmental Programme's classification system, which class designates mountainous environments with elevations between 300 and 1,000 meters that possess a significant elevation range or slope?
Answer: Class 6
Class 6 in the UN Environmental Programme's classification system denotes mountainous environments with elevations between 300 and 1,000 meters, characterized by a significant elevation range or slope.
Volcanic, fold, and block mountains represent the three principal geological classifications, all fundamentally associated with the dynamics of plate tectonics.
Answer: True
The three primary geological types of mountains—volcanic, fold, and block—are all direct results of the forces and movements associated with plate tectonics.
Fold mountains are formed by the compression and collision of tectonic plates, not by plates pulling apart.
Answer: True
Fold mountains are created when tectonic plates collide, causing the Earth's crust to shorten and thicken, leading to the bending and breaking of rock layers.
In the formation of block mountains, the uplifted blocks are termed horsts, while the dropped blocks are known as graben.
Answer: True
Block mountains are formed by faulting, where uplifted blocks (horsts) and dropped blocks (graben) create the characteristic landscape.
Erosion acts to decrease the apparent age of mountain surfaces by smoothing features, rather than preserving them.
Answer: True
Erosion wears down mountains, smoothing their surfaces and making them appear geologically younger than the underlying rock formations.
Glacial erosion in mountains typically creates sharp peaks, arêtes, and U-shaped valleys, not smooth, rounded features.
Answer: True
Glacial erosion is responsible for carving dramatic features such as sharp peaks (pyramidal peaks), knife-edge ridges (arêtes), and wide U-shaped valleys.
Processes such as weathering and mass wasting, including slumping, contribute to the wearing down, not the building up, of mountains over geological time.
Answer: True
Weathering and mass wasting are erosional processes that gradually reduce the elevation and shape of mountains after tectonic uplift ceases.
What primary geological process is responsible for the formation of fold mountains?
Answer: Tectonic plates colliding (convergence).
Fold mountains are primarily formed through compressional forces resulting from the collision (convergence) of tectonic plates.
In the context of block mountains, what term designates the uplifted blocks?
Answer: Horst
Horsts are the uplifted blocks of crustal rock that form block mountains, separated by faults from adjacent down-dropped blocks called graben.
What is the effect of erosion on the perceived age of mountain surfaces?
Answer: Erosion smooths features, making the surface appear younger than the underlying rock.
Erosion gradually wears down mountain features, resulting in a surface that appears younger than the ancient rock formations composing the mountain.
What type of landform is typically created by glacial erosion in mountainous regions?
Answer: Sharp, knife-edge ridges known as arêtes
Glacial erosion sculpts mountains into dramatic forms, including sharp ridges (arêtes) and pyramidal peaks, distinct from features formed by other erosional agents.
What fundamental geological process underlies the formation of volcanic, fold, and block mountains?
Answer: Plate tectonics
The formation of volcanic, fold, and block mountains is fundamentally driven by the movement and interaction of Earth's tectonic plates.
Temperature consistently decreases, rather than increases, as one ascends to higher elevations on a mountain.
Answer: True
The atmospheric temperature generally decreases with increasing altitude due to factors like lower atmospheric pressure and the adiabatic lapse rate.
The dry adiabatic lapse rate is approximately 9.8 degrees Celsius per kilometer, not 5.5 degrees Celsius.
Answer: True
The dry adiabatic lapse rate, representing the cooling of dry air as it ascends, is approximately 9.8°C per kilometer, whereas the moist adiabatic lapse rate is slower due to latent heat release.
Biotemperature simplifies ecological assessment by treating all sub-freezing temperatures as equivalent to zero, reflecting plant dormancy, rather than considering them equally with warmer temperatures.
Answer: True
Biotemperature is an ecological metric that sets all temperatures below freezing to zero, acknowledging that plant metabolic activity is minimal or absent during sub-freezing conditions.
Mountain environments are considered *more* vulnerable to climate change than lowland regions due to their unique ecosystems and steep environmental gradients.
Answer: True
The steep environmental gradients and specialized ecosystems found in mountains make them particularly sensitive to climatic shifts, often experiencing amplified impacts compared to lowland areas.
Melting permafrost in mountains *decreases* slope stability and *increases* landslide risk.
Answer: True
The thawing of permafrost and glaciers destabilizes mountain slopes, leading to an increased frequency and severity of landslips and avalanches.
Altitudinal zonation accurately describes the distinct ecological layers that develop on mountains as a direct consequence of changing elevation.
Answer: True
Altitudinal zonation refers to the distinct bands of climate and vegetation that occur at different elevations on mountains, driven by changes in temperature, precipitation, and other environmental factors.
Sky islands are isolated ecosystems found on mountaintops, not large, continuous ecosystems across entire ranges.
Answer: True
Ecological 'sky islands' are isolated habitats on mountaintops or high plateaus, separated by vastly different environments at lower elevations.
Needleleaf trees are typically found in subalpine zones *below* the tree line, not in the highest alpine zones above it.
Answer: True
Subalpine forests, often composed of hardy needleleaf trees, are typically situated just below the tree line, preceding the treeless alpine tundra zone.
Mountains are significant sources of freshwater, providing essential water resources for a substantial portion of global populations.
Answer: True
Mountains serve as vital sources of freshwater, with snowpack acting as a natural reservoir that feeds rivers essential for downstream populations.
What is the approximate rate of temperature decrease per kilometer of altitude increase in dry air, according to the adiabatic lapse rate?
Answer: 9.8 degrees Celsius
The dry adiabatic lapse rate, which governs temperature change in rising dry air, is approximately 9.8 degrees Celsius per kilometer of altitude.
In what way is the concept of biotemperature particularly useful for understanding mountain ecology?
Answer: It simplifies temperature measurement by setting sub-freezing temperatures to zero, reflecting plant dormancy.
Biotemperature is valuable in ecology as it focuses on the duration of temperatures conducive to plant growth by equating all sub-freezing temperatures to zero.
What characteristic makes mountain environments particularly sensitive to the impacts of climate change?
Answer: Steep environmental gradients and unique ecosystems.
The rapid changes in environmental conditions with altitude and the specialized nature of mountain ecosystems render them highly susceptible to climate change.
What is a direct consequence of the melting of glaciers and permafrost in mountain regions?
Answer: Increased frequency and magnitude of landslips.
The melting of ice and thawing of permafrost destabilizes mountain slopes, leading to a greater occurrence and severity of landslips and related hazards.
What does the concept of 'altitudinal zonation' on mountains refer to?
Answer: The layering of distinct ecological zones based on elevation.
Altitudinal zonation describes the distinct ecological communities and climate zones that appear in successive layers with increasing elevation on mountains.
In an ecological context, what defines 'sky islands'?
Answer: Isolated ecosystems on mountaintops separated by different environments.
Ecological 'sky islands' are isolated habitats found on mountaintops, surrounded by lower-elevation environments that act as barriers to species dispersal.
What type of vegetation is typically found in the subalpine zone, just below the tree line, in many mountain environments?
Answer: Subalpine forests of needleleaf trees
The subalpine zone, situated below the treeline, is typically characterized by forests of needleleaf trees adapted to colder, drier conditions.
Explain the significance of mountains as crucial sources of freshwater for lowland populations.
Answer: Snowpack acts as a natural reservoir, releasing water gradually into rivers.
Mountains function as critical water towers, storing precipitation as snowpack that melts seasonally, providing a sustained supply of freshwater to downstream river systems.
Why is the moist adiabatic lapse rate generally slower than the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
Answer: Condensation of water vapor releases latent heat, slowing the cooling.
The release of latent heat during condensation of water vapor in moist air counteracts some of the cooling that occurs as air rises, resulting in a slower moist adiabatic lapse rate compared to the dry adiabatic lapse rate.
According to the provided text, what is the primary role of mountains in the global water cycle?
Answer: Storing precipitation as snowpack, releasing water to rivers.
Mountains play a crucial role by capturing precipitation and storing it as snowpack, which then melts and feeds rivers, supplying freshwater to vast downstream populations.
The physiological challenges associated with the 'death zone' for mountaineers, primarily insufficient oxygen, typically begin around 8,000 meters (26,000 feet).
Answer: True
The 'death zone' in mountaineering, characterized by critically low oxygen levels, generally commences at altitudes around 8,000 meters (26,000 feet).
Permanent human habitation is not possible at altitudes exceeding approximately 5,950 meters (19,520 feet).
Answer: True
The highest known altitudes for permanent human settlements are around 5,950 meters (19,520 feet), due to the extreme physiological challenges posed by high-altitude environments.
Mountains are generally considered less ideal for large-scale agriculture and extensive human settlement compared to lowlands due to challenging environmental conditions.
Answer: True
Factors such as steep terrain, harsh weather, and limited accessibility make mountains less suitable for extensive agriculture and large-scale human settlements compared to lowland regions.
Tourism, especially activities centered around national parks and ski resorts, constitutes a significant economic driver for numerous mountain communities.
Answer: True
Tourism, encompassing activities like visiting national parks and skiing, plays a crucial role in the economic development of many mountain communities.
Developing transportation infrastructure in mountains can have significant social drawbacks and environmental impacts, rather than primarily benefiting local ecosystems.
Answer: True
While transportation infrastructure is important for development, its construction in mountainous regions can lead to environmental degradation and social issues, such as the marginalization of indigenous peoples.
Mountaineering, or alpinism, encompasses a broader range of activities than just climbing rock faces.
Answer: True
Mountaineering, or alpinism, is a comprehensive term that includes various mountain sports such as climbing, skiing, and traversing challenging terrain.
While the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) provides a framework for global governance, it does not set universally enforced rules for all mountaineering practices worldwide.
Answer: True
The UIAA serves as a global governing body for mountaineering and climbing, but adherence to its guidelines can vary, and local practices often prevail.
What is the most significant physiological challenge encountered by mountaineers in the 'death zone'?
Answer: Lack of sufficient oxygen for the human body to acclimatize.
The primary physiological challenge in the 'death zone' is the severe lack of oxygen, which prevents the human body from acclimatizing and sustaining life.
What is a potential negative social consequence associated with the development of transportation infrastructure in mountain areas?
Answer: Marginalization of indigenous peoples and loss of cultural traditions.
The development of transportation infrastructure in mountains can inadvertently lead to the marginalization of indigenous communities and the erosion of their cultural heritage.
By which major international body is the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) recognized?
Answer: The International Olympic Committee (IOC)
The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the world governing body for mountaineering and climbing.
Which of the following is *not* identified as a factor contributing to the reduced suitability of mountains for agriculture compared to lowlands?
Answer: High soil fertility due to volcanic ash
While volcanic ash can contribute to soil fertility in some regions, the primary factors limiting mountain agriculture include harsh weather, limited flat terrain, and accessibility challenges.
Mount Everest does not hold the record for the tallest mountain when measured from its base on the ocean floor; Mauna Kea does.
Answer: True
Mount Everest is the highest mountain above sea level. However, Mauna Kea in Hawaii is considered the tallest when measured from its base on the ocean floor, with a total height exceeding that of Mount Everest.
Mauna Loa is recognized as the largest mountain globally based on its substantial volume and extensive base area.
Answer: True
Mauna Loa, located in Hawaii, is recognized as the largest mountain on Earth due to its immense volume and extensive base area, covering approximately 5,200 square kilometers.
Mount Kailash is recognized as a sacred site within several major religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Bon, and Jainism.
Answer: True
Mount Kailash holds profound spiritual significance and is revered as a sacred pilgrimage site by adherents of Hinduism, Buddhism, Bon, and Jainism.
Mauna Kea is not taller than Mount Everest when measured from sea level to summit; Mount Everest holds that distinction.
Answer: True
While Mauna Kea is taller from its base on the ocean floor, Mount Everest is significantly higher when measured from sea level to its summit.
What geographical factor contributes to Mount Chimborazo being the point farthest from the Earth's center?
Answer: Its location near the equator, combined with Earth's equatorial bulge.
Due to Earth's equatorial bulge, Mount Chimborazo's proximity to the equator places its summit farther from the Earth's center than any other point on the surface.
Which mountain is identified as the largest in terms of base area and volume?
Answer: Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is recognized as the largest mountain on Earth based on its extensive base area and massive volume.