Mountains, Hills, and Orogeny

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary related to mountains, hills, and geological processes as discussed in the lecture.

Mountain

A landform that rises high above its surroundings, usually having steep slopes.

Why does Mt. Everest keep on getting taller?

Mt. Everest and all the mountains near it are in a zone of the earth’s crust that is rising.

Isostasy

The balance between the downward weights of rock, water, and ice and the upward force exerted by the mantle.

Topography

Variation of land surface elevations caused by different landforms in a region, such as hills, valleys, or rivers.

Landforms

Any shape or structure on the Earth’s surface.

Orogeny

Tectonic processes involved in building mountains and the resulting landforms.

Elevation

The height of a landform measured from sea level.

Height

The measurement of a landform from a specific reference point.

Mt. Everest

The tallest mountain above sea level, standing at 29,029 feet.

Mauna Kea

A mountain that stands 13,796 feet above sea level but reaches approximately 33,500 feet when measured from its base on the ocean floor.