Types of Mountains: Residual Mountains
- Residual Mountains -
"Leftover" Mountains:
Think of these mountains as the parts of the land that are "left
behind" after erosion.
- How Residual Mountains are Formed:
- Evolved by Denudation: They are created by denudation,
which is the process of wearing down the Earth's surface.
- General Land Level Lowered: Forces like wind, water, ice,
and sun erode and lower the overall level of the land.
- Resistant Areas Remain: Some areas of rock are harder
and more resistant to erosion than the surrounding land.
- Harder Areas Become Mountains: As the softer land is worn away,
these resistant areas are left standing higher, forming residual
mountains.
- Example: Mt. Monadnock (USA): A famous example of a residual
mountain in the USA.
- Residual Mountains from Dissected
Plateaus: They
can also be formed from plateaus.
- Plateaus are High, Flat Lands: Plateaus are elevated areas of
land that are generally flat on top.
- Rivers Dissect Plateaus: Over time, rivers cut down into
plateaus, creating valleys and hills. (See Fig. 23 in your text).
- Ridges and Peaks of Similar
Height: The
parts of the plateau that remain between the river valleys become
ridges and peaks. These peaks often have similar heights,
reflecting the original level of the plateau.
- Dissected Plateaus = Residual
Mountains: These
carved-up plateaus become a type of residual mountain.
- Examples of Dissected Plateaus
(Residual Mountains):
- Highlands of Scotland
- Scandinavia (parts of it)
- Deccan Plateau (India)
In Simple
Words: Imagine a
landscape made of both soft and hard rocks. Over time, wind and rain wear away
the softer rocks, but the harder rocks resist erosion and remain standing tall.
These harder, "leftover" areas become residual mountains. Sometimes,
rivers carve up a plateau, leaving behind ridges and peaks that are also
considered residual mountains. Think of them as mountains formed by what's removed
around them, rather than being built up directly.
Source: By Kurankou at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5035531