Study GuideGeology–Mountain Building1. Features of Mountain BeltsWhat Are Mountain Belts?Mountain belts are long chains of mountains that usually form near the edges of continents. They canstretch forthousands of kilometers in lengthand behundreds of kilometers wide. Most of themrunparallel to coastlines, where tectonic plates interact.One of the longest mountain belts on Earth is theAmerican Cordillera, which follows the westernedge of bothNorth America and South America. It includes many steep and rugged mountainranges.1.1 Mountain Height and AgeIn general,taller and steeper mountains are younger, whilelower and smoother mountains areolder. This happens because older mountains have had more time to be worn down byweatheringand erosion.For example:•TheRocky Mountainsare steep and rugged because they are relatively young.•TheAppalachian Mountainsare lower and rounded because they are very old.Most mountain ranges go through a long cycle:1.They are uplifted by tectonic forces.2.They erode down to lower elevations.3.They may be uplifted again before finally becoming stable.1.2 Major Mountain Ranges in the United StatesThe United States has several important mountain systems, including:•TheAppalachian MountainsPreview Mode
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