In previous posts we were analyzing Appalachian Mountains y the Himalayas. These geological formations are unique and special around the world. Today we continue touring these dreamy mountain ranges, rich in biodiversity and a sign that our planet is still alive. Let's talk about Rocky Mountains. It is one of the most important mountain ranges in all of America. It is located between Canada and the United States and is considered the backbone of North America.
If you want to know all the importance of the Rocky Mountains, this is your post.
Key features
Thanks to its great ecological value and presence of biodiversity, this environment was established the title of National Park in 1915. Furthermore, later, in 1984, It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. And it is that in these mountains there are kept many geological secrets about the formation of our planet as we know it today and it is the habitat of thousands of species.
It has an enormous length of about 4800 kilometers, approximately. Its width is between 110 and 440 kilometers in its largest part. The location stretches from northern Alberta and British Columbia (both of which are in Canada) to southern New Mexico. It passes through the Great Plains in the east and through basins and plateaus in the west.
It is made up of several mountain ranges, so it is quite wide and worth studying. There are mountains like the remarkable Cabinet and Salish. Being named as a World Heritage Site, many economic activities are prohibited. This is done to keep ecosystems healthy.
The Rocky Mountains guard among their ranges one of the largest peaks in all of North America. This is Mount Elbert. It has an altitude of 4.401 meters. The peaks that still remain in the northern part retain many of the glaciers that are still there since the last glaciation. These ice contain valuable information about the climate that scientists should fully analyze. It is necessary to examine these continuous ice sheets formed over the years to obtain more detailed information about our geological past.
Interesting parts
In the northern part of the Rockies you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the narrow and deep valleys that have been formed over millions of years by the action of glaciers. The continuous freezing and thawing is generating river currents that are shaping the terrain and forming the valleys that we can appreciate today. The truth is that it is precious to be able to observe a natural landscape that was formed so long ago and that only nature has intervened in its construction.
Among the most interesting parts to see in the Rockies we find some of the most important rivers found in all of North America. Among them we meet the Colorado River, Columbia and Bravo. These rivers of pristine waters are fed by the water that is continuously generated in the processes of freezing and thawing mentioned above. This reminds us of the importance of the melting of glaciers like this in the face of rising sea levels and the catastrophes that can be generated from this.
In this natural landscape we can not only see mountains, but other rock formations that have been formed by the action of glacial, external geological and meteorological processes. The continuous action of rain, wind, changes in temperature, freezing and thawing, etc. They shape the landscapes over the years and give rise to impressive geological formations.
How were the Rocky Mountains formed?
We are talking about how some of the most beautiful formations in these places are formed. But how were these mountain ranges formed? This geological process that led to the formation of the Rockies is widely studied by geologists around the world. And it is that these mountains have developed in a period in which the Earth was very geologically active.
The tectonic plates suffered strong movements that led to the elevation of the terrain and the subsequent formation of mountains. The Appalachian Mountains mentioned above and detailed in another article were formed from the collision of the Laurentia and Gondwana plate during the late Carboniferous. Later, in the Eocene, there was a fairly deep subduction below the crust that today makes up all of western North America. This subduction was lifting the continental crust more and more and the formation of the Rockies was taking place in a more and more defined way.
It is possible that the data from the studies are true and date these mountains of an age between 55 and 88 million years. For this reason, we can see in front of our eyes a totally natural landscape in which the hand of man has not intervened and that was formed 88 million years ago.
After the last 60 million years, once their formation is complete, mountains are subject to external geological and meteorological agents. Among them we find the metamorphization of rocks. A metamorphization both physical (due to the continuous changes in temperatures and the evolution of the seasons) and chemical due to the dissolution of materials by the action of water. In addition, the wind and rain continually make the landscape subject to erosion.
Flora and fauna
As we have mentioned several times in this post, there are many species of both flora and fauna that inhabit these places. In the beautiful landscapes of the tundra, plains, forests, grasslands, wetlands and others biomes different can inhabit many species in a perfect ecological balance.
Among the species that cohabit we find deer, white-tailed deer, trumpeter swan, coyote, brown bear, Canadian lynx, and white goat.
We also find an abundant diversity of vegetation and flora in which we find ponderosa pine, oaks, alpine fir, among others.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Rocky Mountains.