DRAFT - Mountains

Mountains    Sachi Ruaya

Mountains are defined as ‘a large mass of rock that projects well above its surroundings’ (Earth-Second Edition) or and classified as a natural landform with a high elevation which rises prominently above its surroundings and can only differentiate from hills by its size. The higher the mountain, the rate at which erosion wears them down is faster �"due to gravitational pull- and the older the mountain, the lower the elevation (i.e. the height above a given level. It is determined by the strength of the rigid crust which can only support a certain weight before it deforms. It is the balance between tectonic uplift and erosion) and relief (i.e. “The difference between the highest and lowest elevations in an area.”- Matt Rosenberg). Also, they tend to have broader river valleys and gentler slopes. So, if a mountain is higher than another, we can assume that the higher mountain has a faster erosion rate �"which lowers the altitude faster- and has an increased rate of sedimentation. And if a mountain is older than another, then we can assume the younger mountain has a higher relief. This information may not vary to all comparisons of mountains. Some boulders prevail from where they are formed but others become the consequence of erosion. [Note that this information will be used to compare two mountains from different countries]

 

The geomorphic processes (i.e. natural ways that can change a natural landform or landscape such as deposition and weathering) that contributes to the formations of mountains include;  folding of layers of sedimentary rocks, block faulting, large-scale movements of Earth’s crust (i.e. the movement of the tectonic plates), igneous intrusion, volcanic activity, metamorphism (i.e. “alteration of the composition or structure of a rock by heat, pressure, or other natural agency.”) and erosion.

 

Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mountain in Australia with an altitude of 2,228m! Between three hundred and fifty-five million years ago and four hundred and ninety million years ago, it was made of granitic rock which has been modified by folding, erosion, uplifting and faulting. Not by any recent volcanic activity. Just recently (between ten-thousand years ago and seventy-thousand years ago), along the crest of the main range (the range is defined by ridges of hardier erosion-resistant rock and divided by streams such as the Thredbo River. This happened because of uplift), Mount Kosciuszko had glaciers, due to cold conditions, which have also altered the form of the mountain.

 

Kosciuszko attracts plenty of tourism and is a popular option for a holiday. This means humans take this as an opportunity to make money, resulting in the need of more man-made facilities such as ski resorts, accommodation, buildings, roads and carparks. These facilities negatively impact the environment because firstly, they are frequently being constructed. During warmer conditions, when the ice and snow melts, some nearby shops and resorts close for construction to satisfy tourist and visitors. The equipment used for construction (e.g. articulated trucks and motor graders) produce air pollution and damages the soil due to the removal of trees �"to make space for the buildings-, resulting in soil erosion (i.e. when the removal of topsoil is faster than the process that forms topsoil). And the construction of ski resorts, which includes artificial snowmaking, abnormally rises the average snowline which has been doing so for fifty years.

 

And last but not least, humans have introduced feral animals to Kosciuszko’s environment. Having more and more man-made facilities attracts a larger range of visitors (and a larger quantity), and within the range, includes people who bring with them foreign plant seeds and animals. Animals such as goats, pigs and feral horses pollute streams, spread weeds, displace native animals and trample over fragile landscape. They may also destroy habitat, spread disease and highly impact native animals by competition for food and shelter. Since some common feral animals have high reproductive rates and few natural predators, their populations can multiply rapidly, trampling over sensitive vegetation.

 

Human responses and management to the environmental issues of Kosciuszko include organisations �"particularly National Park- planning to “improve knowledge and understanding of the implications of climate change for the values of the park” (capt.) and mountain. They currently plan to do this by nominating Kosciuszko park in a worldwide climate change monitoring program, establishing a research program to understand the effects of climate change on the park and develop a bush-fire management plan along with a weed and pest (e.g. feral animals) management plan. New South Wales, Office of Environment and Heritage made numerous plans �"each made for a set number of years- that are available on their site.

 

The Alps highest peak, Monte Blanc, has an altitude of 4,808 metres and a surrounding elevation of 4,801 metres, making it the highest mountain in Europe’s most extensive mountain system. The mountain system that Monte Blanc is in (The Alps) crosses through eight alpine (existing in or relating to mountains) countries; Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia and Switzerland. Around forty-four million years ago, tectonic pressure �"from the south of the current alps- started the formation of the Alps by folding deep layers of rock from the Tethys sea against crystalline bedrock, which resulted in the rock to rise with the crystalline bedrock. This process lasted for around nine million years, reaching to heights of the present-day Alps. During the Quaternary Period (i.e. two million years ago to the present), the newly folded and up thrust mountain had strong, though steady, erosive forces which altered it, slowly changing to the form the mountain has today. Also, during this period, the Alps �"including Monte Blanc- was further altered by glaciation, in which some still remain.

 

Just like Mount Kosciuszko, Monte Blanc has tourism negatively effecting its environment. Many large and major events such as the Olympics and Official Skiing Competitions that are held in the heart of the Alps �"especially Monte Blanc- are proof of the Alps popularity. This means, the mass tourism destroys wildlife areas surrounding Monte Blanc and the Alps and areas (around or near Monte Blanc) used to host these events will be trampled over since they consume a large amount of land. These events can be the source of water pollution, noise pollution and abnormal slope erosion due to the construction of ski slopes and roads. Also, glaciologist found a tree as evidence that the ice on the Alps is melting at an abnormal rate and places with high elevation are the most affected to our current atmosphere warming (particularly Monte Blanc, since it is the highest peak of the Alps).

 

 

It seems that both the mountain’s issues are responded to very similarly. Monte Blanc also has organisations endeavouring to raise awareness of climate change and pollution. One way of doing this is conducting research and informing people via media (e.g. website articles and video-sharing websites). And secondly, by conducting annual surveys of the tourist and their ability to notice climate change and sending this information to the event host.

 

The predicted outcomes and consequences of these management and responses are that by gathering information and data and sharing it will raise awareness to larger companies �"that and influence them to somewhat change the way they operate to satisfy the plan itself. Although Kosciuszko’s management to environmental change seems to be aiming for quality research and Monte’s management to environmental change seems to be aiming to share information.

 

Comparing Mt. Kosciuszko and Monte Blanc, Mount Kosciuszko (formation started circa fifty-five million years ago) is older than Monte Blanc (formation started circa forty-four million years ago) and Monte Blanc has a higher altitude than Mount Kosciuszko, so Monte Blanc’s rate at which erosion wears them down is faster than Mount Kosciuszko. The similarities between their geomorphic processes is that they both �"at some point- were altered by folding and erosion and they have both been recently modified by glaciation.

 

Traditional Aboriginal land burning is the practice of traditionally controlled burning for the benefits of the land and their people and has been doing so practice for thousands of years (ca. forty-thousand to sixty-thousand years ago). By burning grasslands, forest and bushland they can make accessing and hunting though harsh, prickly and thick vegetation easier and to “maintain a pattern of vegetation to encourage new growth and attract game for hunting” (Government of Western Australia, Park & Wildlife).