MOUNTAIN & EROSION

PREPARED BY;
GROUP 5
ALIF
INDRA
JAMUNAH
 WHAT IS A MOUNTAIN?
 A mountain is a landform that extends
above the surrounding terrain in a limited
area.
 A mountain is generally higher and steeper
than a hill, but there is considerable overlap,
and usage often depends on local custom.
 Mountains cover 54% of Asia, 36% of North
America, 25% of Europe, 22% of South
America, 17% of Australia, and 3% of Africa.
 As a whole, 24% of the Earth's land mass is
mountainous
 Also, 1 in 10 people live in mountainous
regions.
 Mountains are generally given as heights
above mean sea level.
 The highest mountain on Earth is Everest,
8,848 m, set in the world's most significant
mountain range, the Himalaya
 Everest is the highest elevation on land, but
it is only a single peak in an entire mountain
range.
 Mauna Loa is a single mountain on the
island of Hawaii. The island of Hawaii is
actually an island made up of five volcanoes
which "blend" together because of their
closeness to each other, making a single
island.
 Mauna Loa takes up a lot of space because
its mass is 9,700 cubic miles/40,000 cu km
of mountain.
Mauna Loa is a volcano, just like many others
found on the island chain
Mauna Loa is one of many shield volcanoes that
make up the Hawaiian Islands.
These are volcanoes that, compared to their
more violent companions, erupt slowly and
quietly.
The study of mountains, Orology is a
specialized branch of Geology
There are used to describe mountainous areas
and things associated with them
 CHARACTERISTICS
 Located close to the Earth's poles, reach
into the colder layers of the atmosphere
 Have very different climatic conditions at the
top than at the base
 Have different life zones at different
altitudes
 Generally less preferable for human
habitation than lowlands
 The weather is often harsher
 At very high altitudes, there is less oxygen in
the air and less protection against solar
radiation (UV).
 Acute mountain sickness (caused by hypoxia
- a lack of oxygen in the blood) affects over
half of lowlanders who spend more than a
few hours above 3,500 meters (11,483 feet).
 A mountain is usually produced by the
movement of lithospheric plates, either
orogenic movement or epeirogenic
movement.
 Two types of mountain are formed depending
on how the rock reacts to the tectonic forces –
block mountains or fold mountains.
 Some isolated mountains were produced by
volcanoes, including many apparently small
islands that reach a great height above the
ocean floor.
 WHAT IS AN EROSION?
 Soil erosion is a natural process. It becomes
a problem when human activity causes it to
occur much faster than under natural
conditions
 FACTORS AFFECTING EROSION
Natural factors
 heavy rains on weak soil: rain drops
loosen soil particles and water transports
them down hill.
 vegetation depleted by drought: rain
drops are free to hit the soil, causing
erosion during rainfall. Winds blow away the
fine particles during droughts.
 steep slopes: gravity 'pulls harder': water
flows faster; soil creeps, slips or slumps
downhill.
 sudden climate change
– rainfall: erosion increases unexpectedly rapidly
as rainstorms become more severe.
– drought: water dries up and the soil becomes a
playball of winds. Soil biota die. A sudden rain
causes enormous damage.
– changing winds: areas previously sheltered,
become exposed.
Human-induced factors
 change of land (deforestation): the land loses its
cover, then its soil biota, porosity and moisture.
 intensive farming: the plough, excessive fertiliser
and irrigation damage the land, often permanently.
 housing development: soil is bared; massive
earthworks to landscape the subdivision; soil is on
the loose.
 road construction: roads are cut; massive
earthworks, leaving scars behind. Not enough
attention paid to rainwater flow and maintenance of
road sides.
 Rain has been recognised as one of the
most influential factors on soil erosion as
it transports soil away, visible by rivers
becoming streams of mud.
 But the damage caused by rain drops
hitting the soil, has been recognised only
recently. When soils dry out, wind can
transport soil particles as dust storms.
Also frost can be damaging to soils.
 Wind and water are the main agents of soil
erosion. The amount of soil they can carry
away is influenced by two related factors:
* speed - the faster either moves, the more
soil it can erode;
* plant cover - plants protect the soil and in
their absence wind and water can do much
more damage
 THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANTS
 Plants provide protective cover on the land
and prevent soil erosion for the following
reasons:

 * plants slow down water as it flows over the

land (runoff) and this allows much of the rain
to soak into the ground;
 * plant roots hold the soil in position and
prevent it from being washed away;
 * plants break the impact of a raindrop
before it hits the soil, thus reducing its ability
to erode;
 * plants in wetlands and on the banks of
rivers are of particular importance as they
slow down the flow of the water and their
roots bind the soil, thus preventing erosion.
 PREVENTING SOIL EROSION
Political and economic changes need to
address the distribution of land in South
Africa as well as the possibility of incentives
to encourage farmers to manage their land
sustainably.
 Aspects of technical changes include:
 * the use of contour ploughing and wind
breaks;
 * leaving unploughed grass strips between
ploughed land;
 * making sure that there are always plants
growing on the soil, and that the soil is rich
in humus (decaying plant and animal
remains). This organic matter is the "glue"
that binds the soil particles together and
plays an important part in preventing
erosion;

 * avoiding overgrazing and the over-use of

crop lands;
 * allowing indigenous plants to grow along
the river banks instead of ploughing and
planting crops right up to the water's edge;

 * encouraging biological diversity by planting

several different types of plants together;

 * conservation of wetlands (see Enviro

Facts "Wetlands" and "River Catchments").
 THE END

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