Great Soviet Encyclopedia - Cordilleras. Where are the Cordillera Mountains? Cordillera Mountains: description

Cordillera- this is the largest mountain system peace.

On which continent are the Alps, Andes, Cordillera, Ural, Scandinavian, Himalayas, Appaches mountains located?

It is located on the western coast of North and South America. That is, it is divided into two approximately equal parts. For this reason, sometimes its southern part, the Andes, is called the longest mountain system (9000 km). This is partly true, since the Andes, as a separate object, really have a large extent.

Description of the Cordillera Mountains

The length of the Cordillera is about 18 thousand km. Approximately 9 thousand km for each of its parts - they are almost equal.

But if we talk about the size in general, then Northern part larger - it is wider (up to 1600 km). But the southern one is higher - 6962 meters at the highest point (Mount Aconcagua). In the northern part of the Cordillera, the height reaches 6190 meters (Mount Denali), which is also quite a lot.

In general, this mountain system is among the leaders in terms of height, although it is far from in first place.

Since the Cordilleras extend over vast distances, they lie in almost all geographical zones.

This means that the conditions here are very diverse. However, something similar is observed throughout the entire length of the mountains - glaciation. Even in the hottest climate zones there are snow caps on the mountains (due to the relatively high altitude of the mountains). total area glaciations amount to 90 thousand km2.

Peaks of the Cordillera

Although the highest points of the mountain system are located at six thousand meters, the average height of the mountains is 3-4 km. Although, the relief of this geological object is very diverse, so the designation of height is rather arbitrary.

The highest peaks of the mountain system are:

  • — Mount Aconcagua ( dormant volcano) - 6962 meters.
  • — Mount Denali (McKinley) — 6190 meters.
  • — Ojos del Salado ( largest volcano world) - 6891 meters.
  • - Monte Pissis - 6792 meters.
  • — Llullaillaco ( active volcano) — 6739 meters
  • — Tupungato (active volcano) — 6565 meters.
  • — Volcano Orizaba — 5700 meters.
  • — The system consists of a large number of mountain arcs, which already gives some uniqueness to the Cordillera.

    You can also note the presence of mountain ranges and basins that form rises and falls in the relief - this is very interesting.

  • — In the Cordillera there is quite a high volcanic activity.

    True, we are not talking about erupting volcanoes.

  • — The mountains contain large reserves of non-ferrous and ferrous metals, as well as oil and brown coal.
  • - Thanks to the large number climatic zones, vegetable world The Cordillera is very diverse.

Andes or Andean Cordillera(Cordillera de los Andes) is the longest and one of the highest mountain systems on Earth, bordering all of South America to the north and west.

The Andes mountain range rises in western South America and stretches 6,400 km from north to south.

The Cordillera Mountains are the longest mountain system in the world

In Ecuador alone, 18 mountains rise above 4,500 meters above sea level. West of the Andes - a narrow strip of coast Pacific Ocean. The tributaries of the Amazon originate on the eastern slopes, main river South America.

It was here that the great Chimu and Inca civilizations flourished before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 1530s, which were only able to free themselves from Spanish rule in the 1820s.

Today there are four independent states - Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

They are inhabited by descendants of European settlers and Indians such as the Aymara and Quechua. Official language these countries - Spanish.

The area is rich natural resources and lumber, but many people work for very low wages. Corn, sugar cane, bananas, coffee, potatoes and a grain called quinoa are grown here.

Where is it located and how to get there

Address: South America, Andean Cordillera

Andes in South America on the map

GPS coordinates:-20.923594, -69.658586

Cordillera(Spanish Cordillera, literally mountainous areas), the largest and largest in the world, which is not the same in the world, is a mountain system. The Cordillera mountain system is also one of the highest mountain systems, subordinate only to the Himalayan and Central Asian mountain systems.

Geography of the Cordillero mountain system

The Cordillera extends from the Arctic coast of Alaska (66°N latitude.

) In northwestern North America along the western coasts of North and South America, most southern shores Tierra del Fuego (56°) south of South America. Cordilleras on the road traveling through a number of countries on both continents: Canada, USA, Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile.

The length of the Cordillero mountain system is more than 18,000 kilometers. The highest point is located in South America, at the top of Mount Aconcagua at an altitude of 6,960 m above sea level, and the highest peak in North America reaches the top of the Cordillera at Mount McKinley (Alaska), reaching an altitude of 6,193 m. The Cordilleras form a huge barrier between Pacific Ocean and eastern parts two continents. The Cordillera is an excellent watercourse between two oceans, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and climatic limit between countries on both sides of the mountain system.

The entire Cordillera mountain system is divided into two parts, corresponding to areas of two continents: the Cordillero of North America and the Cordillero of South America or the Andes. The entire mountain system consists of several parallel ridges adjacent to the covering of internal tiles and plains (in North America - Yukon, Fraser, Columbia, B.

Basin, Colorado, Mexican; in Southern Peru and Central America). In North America, three parallel systems are pronounced mountainous areas, one of them ( Rocky Mountains) and extends east of the plateau area, another system in mountainous areas is carried out immediately to the west of this area (in the Alaska Range coast of the Canadian mountains, Cascade Mountains, Sierra Nevada, etc.), and a third system of mountainous areas runs along the Pacific coast, partly on the offshore islands.

They come to Central America, the Cordillera gradually falls and splits into two branches. One branch is located in the east near the Antilles, the other crosses the Isthmus of Panama and enters the continent of South America.

The Andes (Cordillera in South America) in the northern and central parts consist of four, and on the other hand, two systems of parallel ridges are separated by a deep longitudinal depression or intermountain plateau.

The most high peaks- these are the ridges of the Cordillera of the central part of the Andes, where the height of individual peaks reaches more than 6700 m (Aconcagua, 6960 m, Hoyos del Salado, 6880 m, Sajama, 6780 m, llullaillaco, 6723 m).

Width mountain range varies significantly, so in North America the width of the Cordillera mountain range reaches 1600 km, reaching only 900 km in southern continent, which is almost a fifth less.

The main orogenic processes caused by any of the Cordillera began in North America in the Jurassic period, in South America (where most of the structure takes on the structure of the Paleozoic Hercynian stack) - at the end of the Cretaceous period and are closely related to the formation mountain ranges on other continents (see

Alpine styling). Formation processes actively continue in the Cenozoic. These processes largely determine the main orographic elements.

The Cordilleran fold structures are closely related to the mountains of northeast Asia and Antarctica. After the last observations of the design of the Cordillera, it is still far from complete, confirming this observation, it shows quite common and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and intense volcanism, often lead to serious injuries and casualties, both between humans and animals.

The active areas of the Cordillera have more than 80 active volcanoes, the most active Katmayu, Lassen Peak Colima Antisan, Sangay, San Pedro, volcanoes of Chile and others. Quaternary ice, especially north of 44°N, plays an important role in the formation of the Cordillera. w. and south of 40°S.

Where is the Cordillera?

w. The Cordilleras are rich in minerals. Here I recover important deposits of copper (especially rich deposits in Chile), zinc, lead, molybdenum, tungsten, gold, silver, platinum, tin, oil, etc.

Climate of the Cordillera mountain system

Due to the large extent from north to south, the strong collapse of the relief and high height mountains, the result is exceptional diversity natural conditions in the Cordillera mountain system.

The Cordillera lies in almost all geographical areas of the world (except the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic belt).

The climate of the Cordillera is very diverse and varies greatly depending on the width of the landscape, the height and exposure of the slopes.

The boundaries of the Cordillera are strongly wetted in the temperate and lower zones (western slopes) in the equatorial regions and subequatorial (possibly eastern paths). The interior plains have a strong continental climate, while in the subtropical and tropical zones they are characterized by exceptional aridity. Large parts of plateaus, internal depressions and reef slopes, especially in tropical zones, are occupied by stages, halves and deserts.

The heavily moistened border mountain ranges are covered with dense forests. In temperate zones, coniferous forests (in the north) and mixed forests of evergreen beech and conifers (in the south), closer to the equator, are mixed (deciduous and evergreen) subtropical and tropical forests. On the wet slopes of reefs of equatorial, subequatorial and subtropical bands, complex spectra of high bands, from gills to eternal snow. The snow line lies in Alaska at an altitude of 600 m above sea level, from 500 to 700 m in Tierra del Fuego, and in Bolivia and southern Peru it rises to 6000-6500 m.

In Alaska and southern Chile, glaciers descend to the ocean, and in the hot zone they cover only the highest peaks.

Despite the fact that few people live in large areas, the vulnerable nature of the region has been subjected to disturbances that are difficult to restore.

13 created in Alaska national parks, where typical natural complexes, as well as local animal species - mountain sheep, caribou, black bear (baribal) and grizzly bear.

Cordilleras of Canada and Northwestern USA

This part of the Cordilleran system is comparatively different small height mountains and relative narrowness. It includes the Coast Range of Canada, the inland Fraser Plateau, the Columbia and Rocky Mountains to approximately 48°N. w. The westernmost orotectonic zone here merges with the islands. Only in the south does the region expand, as this zone “returns” to the mainland. Its southern border runs along the northern edges of the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Young folded ridges of the coastal zone are fragmented and lowered. Intermountain valleys are flooded with sea and are straits and long narrow bays that protrude deeply into the land. The coastal ridge continues the Nevadan zone, but its height is less than the Alaskan one (2000-3000 meters, in the south - up to 4000 meters). It is dissected and processed by glaciers. The coastline here is fjord in nature.

Some of the general lowering of the region's mountains compared to other parts of the Cordillera is presumably explained by the large area of ​​glaciation, both ancient and modern. It is possible that the earth's crust here seems to bend under the weight of the ice. The internal plateaus are composed of lava sheets reaching a thickness of up to 1200 meters. They are high (800-1500 meters), but narrow, expanding only to the south (the Colombian Plateau - up to several hundred kilometers). Rivers, cutting through the plateau, form canyons. The Rocky Mountains consist of a series of longitudinal ridges up to 4000 meters high, separated by valleys and plunging steeply to the east. Along the western slopes stretches a graben filled with glacial deposits - the “Rocky Mountain Moat”. It is believed that this is a continuation of the mid-ocean rift.

The amount of precipitation decreases from west to east (a common pattern for the Cordillera). The ocean coast receives 2000-3000 mm per year. Maximum - winter, snow cover in the mountains reaches an average thickness of up to 6-9 m. Summer is cool and cloudy. The climate is the same as on the coast of Alaska, only a little warmer.

Here, as on the coast of Alaska, “rain” coniferous forests of Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, western hemlock, etc. grow with dense undergrowth, epiphytic mosses, and ferns.

On the internal plateaus, features of continentality appear: little precipitation (300-400 mm), temperature amplitudes increase. In the north there are areas of taiga on podzolic soils, giving way to forest-steppe and steppe to the south. In the extreme south, wormwood appears. The slopes of the Rocky Mountains are covered with pine forests and shrubs, and the valleys are treeless.

The Canadian Cordillera contains a large number of mountain glaciers of various types.

The region is rich in mineral resources, both ore (copper, iron, lead, zinc, silver, gold) and non-ore, such as coal. Forest resources and river hydropotential are used. Tourism is developed, especially in the mountains of British Columbia. A number of national parks have been created to protect nature - Jasper, Banff, Glacier, etc.

Cordillera of the southwestern United States

The physiographic country is located approximately between 48° and 32° N. w. in the widest and most diverse part of the Cordilleran mountain system. The region experienced a general uplift in the Paleogene-Neogene, which was accompanied by faults, denudation, and large erosional dissection.

Here, the manifestations of faults are most clearly visible at the junction of the continental (North American) and oceanic (Pacific) crust. The zones of deep subsidence of the oceanic crust under the continental crust in the California region, where there is a huge gap in the coastal areas, are quite clearly visible. The San Andreas Fault extends in a northwest direction for almost 900 km. It has existed since pre-Cretaceous times and is still very active today.

Three structural and morphological zones are clearly visible: axial, the most ancient - Nevadan, in the east Laramia, in the west - the young Cenozoic Coastal Ranges, the development of which continues to the present day.

Modern climatic conditions are characterized by great contrast, which is associated with the location in two climatic zones (temperate and subtropical), significant altitude amplitudes, and the presence of mountain barriers in the path of marine air masses.

Areas with annual precipitation up to 100 mm and maximum temperatures up to +57 ° C (Death Valley) are adjacent to mountains where annual precipitation amounts up to 2000 mm and even in summer negative temperatures prevail (upper sections of the Sierra Nevada). In the west it is a Mediterranean type climate. In other parts of the region, climatic conditions show continental features.

Different parts of the region differ significantly in all components of nature.

The eastern (Laramie) structures of the Rocky Mountains are often referred to as the continental divide, with elevations of 1,800 m and higher.

The ridges are anticlinal folds that have Precambrian cores. Some of them are elongated in the general direction of the entire mountain system from northwest to southeast (Advanced Range, Sangre de Cristo, etc.), but there are ridges of a different orientation, sometimes even sublatitudinal. Between them, vast plateau-like areas were formed, connecting the Great Plains with the Great Basin, the so-called “parks”. They are composed of sedimentary strata of Paleozoic-Mesozoic age. The summit areas were covered by the Wisconsin glaciation and preserved troughs and cirques. Spruce-fir and pine forests, the bottoms of the “parks” are usually treeless. In the south and along the slopes of the mountains steppes and semi-deserts rise.

In the northeast is the Yellowstone Plateau (“Yellowstone” translated from English means “ yellow stone") with a Paleogene cover and young lava covers with a thickness of more than 1000 meters.

It is known as one of the largest areas on Earth with geysers and thermal springs. Forests of ancient redwoods are buried under thick lava covers (300-600 meters). Their petrified trunks are often found (there is a section with 12 layers of petrified forest, covered volcanic ash). Yellowstone was founded here in 1872. national park(area about 900 thousand hectares, located at an altitude of 2100 m to 3400 meters). There are 200 thermal and mud springs and about 300 geysers in the park. The greatest geyser, Exilor, with a griffon diameter of 8-10 meters, “works” here, which throws water up to 100 meters upward. The mineral sediment forms geyserite of various shades - blue, purple, pink, etc. Rich animal world park - bison (their number has increased 20 times compared to the beginning of the century and amounts to several hundred heads), a variety of brown bear - grizzly, coyote, fox, skunk, badger, large predator puma and 150 species of resident birds. Visiting the park is regulated. The park is divided into zones, each of which solves specific problems: there is a strict protection zone, where no human influence is allowed, a “managed” protection zone (to preserve natural landscapes), an organized tourism zone and a tourist-administrative zone (campsites, parking lots, cafes). , administrative buildings).

In the interior of the physiographic country west of the Rocky Mountains, the largest inland highlands are located - the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau.

The Great Basin has undergone a complex history of formation: Paleozoic and Mesozoic folding, Mesozoic sedimentation, and intense structural deformation.

The modern relief was formed in the Cenozoic under the influence of faults of submeridional strike along the rift between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Debris material filled the intermountain depressions. Active volcanism appeared in the northwest. Currently, the rejuvenated relief with numerous internal drainless depressions has a wide range of absolute heights - from 1500-2000 meters to -85 meters (Death Valley). This is the result of powerful vertical movements.

Due to the barrier role of the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, which prevent the transfer of Pacific air masses, a climate has developed with well-defined continental features.

The annual precipitation here does not exceed 90-100 mm. The result of a dry climate is the poor development of the river network, which does not flow into the ocean. There is no removal of destruction products outside the basin, so the clastic material buries and levels the mountainous terrain.

Within the highlands there are a hundred relict lakes - the Big Salt Lake (the remnant of Lake Bonneville, most of which was drained by the Snake River).

The soil, plant cover and fauna are typical of deserts and semi-deserts of the temperate and subtropical zones. America has a different appearance than the deserts of Eurasia.

Along with salt marsh and rocky deserts, there are areas with a clearly defined seasonality, when ephemerals bloom brightly in the spring. In the southern part of the basin, a “sparse forest” of cacti (up to 10 meters high) and yucca has formed. Pine and juniper trees with steppe grasses grow on the slopes of the ridges. The picturesque Sonoran Desert in Arizona. The hilly plain is composed of sedimentary rocks and has island volcanic mountains. The desert is inhabited by many species of cacti, including the giant tree-like squorrow. Volcanic mountains overgrown with this plant seem covered from afar sparse forest devoid of small branches and leaves. The age of the cacti is tens and hundreds of years, the height is 10-12 meters, the trunk thickness is up to 70 cm, coyotes and many poisonous snakes live under them. In addition to cacti, other xerophytic plants grow in Sonora, which can tolerate not only drought, but also extremely high air and soil temperatures. The desert fauna is diverse and interesting.

The Colorado Plateau is an area of ​​horizontal occurrence of Phanerozoic rocks of different lithological composition. The highly elevated structural plain (over 3,500 meters in places) is framed by cuestas.

A deeply incised river network has created canyons with steep slopes, on which all the different colored rocks that make up the plateau are exposed. On the outskirts of the plateau, volcanic rocks are widely represented in the form of intrusions and laccoliths. The main watercourse is the river. Colorado, which cut through the plateau to create the Grand Canyon. The main canyon has a winding shape, its depth is 1800 m, its maximum width is up to 25 km, and its length is more than 300 km.

To the west of the interior plateaus are the Nevadan structures - the Sierra Nevada mountains. This is a large block structure (horst block with ridge-like tops), the blocks are inclined to the west, and there are batholiths at the base. The Cascade Mountains are a prime example of a volcanic range with a number of active volcanoes. The folded structures within their boundaries are overlain by Cenozoic lavas, and high (some above 4000 m) volcanic cones are planted on them. Among them there are also very active ones: in the 80s. XX century Mount St. Helens erupted for two years in a row, causing many casualties. There are also extinct ones, but exhibiting post-volcanic activity.

The vegetation of the mountains is typically American.

Here in the river valley. Merset (Yosemite Valley) has a preserved forest (park) of giant sequoia dendron. Because of their large size (the height of many trees reaches 80-100 meters) and for their branches that bend like mammoth tusks, they were called mammoth trees. In the lower tier of the mountains there is chaparral (an American variety of maquis).

Coastal ranges are low (up to 2400 meters) Pacific structures separated from Nevadan structures by the Willamette and California valleys. This is the result of subduction with the recent formation of strike-slip faults and faults, such as the San Andreas.

This fault is particularly active. Blocks of the earth's crust move horizontally relative to each other at high speed. The process is accompanied by strong earthquakes. For example, in 1992, an earthquake occurred 150 km from Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert, during which more than 5,000 tremors of varying strength were recorded over 10 days. suffer from tremors big cities- San Francisco was severely damaged in 1906, in Los Angeles there were tremors of magnitude 7-8 in 1971.

The climate here is subtropical with humid warm winter(up to 10°C) and dry summers. On the coast, summers are cool (average July temperatures are about 15°C): the influence of air masses from the northern component and cold currents are felt. When moving inland, summer becomes much warmer (20-22°C). The annual precipitation is 500-600 mm with a winter maximum. The lower tier of the mountains is occupied by an analogue of the Mediterranean maquis - chaparral (thickets of shrubby oak, deciduous and evergreen, 1.5-2 meters high, less often - 3 meters, on brown, above 600 meters - rocky soils). In the south there are thickets of acacia, cacti, and yucca. The upper tiers are dominated by coniferous forests of Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, pine, and sequoia.

On the northern sections of the western slopes there are National parks, where evergreen sequoia (mahogany) forests are under protection. Redwood National Park is located north of San Francisco, in the valley of the river. Redwood Creek. Sequoias are the tallest and oldest trees, along with mammoth trees from the same family. Sequoia grows up to 2000 years. The phytomass of thousand-year-old sequoia is more than 4000 thousand centners/ha (1% - needles, the rest is trunk and branches), the yield of industrial wood is 10 thousand m 3 / ha. Trees are not afraid of fires.

Of all the regions of North America, the Cordillera of the southwestern United States stands out for its variety of natural attractions, attracting tourists from all over the world.

In addition to recreational ones, this region has good agroclimatic and land resources. In the Great California Valley, the natural vegetation of dry wormwood steppes and semi-deserts has been completely replaced by cultivated vegetation. A variety of subtropical crops are grown on lands irrigated by rivers flowing from the mountains. On the Pacific coast, giant urban agglomerations have formed, connected by highways. From Richmond, Oakland, San Francisco to Los Angeles, including the famous Hollywood, continuous urban development stretches.

The most acute problem is pollution: all harmful emissions remain at the surface of the earth, since the anticyclonic regime and downward air currents predominate for a significant part of the year. Fogs are frequent.

Cordillera is the largest mountain system in the world. It is located on the west coast of North and South America. That is, it is divided into two approximately equal parts. For this reason, sometimes its southern part, the Andes, is called the longest mountain system (9000 km).

This is partly true, since the Andes, as a separate object, really have a large extent.

The length of the Cordillera is about 18 thousand km. Approximately 9 thousand km for each of its parts - they are almost equal. But if we talk about the size in general, the northern part is larger - it is wider (up to 1600 km). But the southern one is higher - 6962 meters at the highest point (Mount Aconcagua). In the northern part of the Cordillera, the height reaches 6190 meters (Mount Denali), which is also quite a lot. In general, this mountain system is among the leaders in terms of height, although it is far from in first place.

Since the Cordilleras extend over vast distances, they lie in almost all geographical zones. This means that the conditions here are very diverse. However, something similar is observed throughout the entire length of the mountains - glaciation. Even in the hottest climate zones there are snow caps on the mountains (due to the relatively high altitude of the mountains). The total area of ​​glaciations is 90 thousand km 2.

Peaks of the Cordillera

Although the highest points of the mountain system are located at six thousand meters, the average height of the mountains is 3-4 km. Although, the relief of this geological object is very diverse, so the designation of height is rather arbitrary.

The highest peaks of the mountain system are:

  • — Mount Aconcagua (an extinct volcano) — 6962 meters.
  • — Mount Denali (McKinley) — 6190 meters.
  • — Ojos del Salado (the largest volcano in the world) — 6891 meters.
  • - Monte Pissis - 6792 meters.
  • — Llullaillaco (active volcano) — 6739 meters
  • — Tupungato (active volcano) — 6565 meters.
  • — Volcano Orizaba — 5700 meters.
  • — The system consists of a large number of mountain arcs, which already gives some uniqueness to the Cordillera.

    You can also note the presence of mountain ranges and basins that form rises and falls in the relief - this is very interesting.

  • — There is quite high volcanic activity in the Cordillera. True, we are not talking about erupting volcanoes.
  • — The mountains contain large reserves of non-ferrous and ferrous metals, as well as oil and brown coal.
  • — Thanks to the large number of climatic zones, the flora of the Cordillera is very diverse.

The mountains of America are primarily the Cordillera system - the longest mountain system in the world, which stretches along west coast both Americas (North and South America). Any resident of North and South America knows where the Cordilleras are. The slopes of the ridges in the north. parts of the Cordillera are covered mainly. coniferous forests.

The Cordilleras lie in all geographic zones of America (except for the subantarctic and Antarctic) and are distinguished by a wide variety of landscapes and pronounced altitudinal zonation.

In the northwestern part of the Cordillera of North America and in the southeastern Andes, glaciers descend to ocean level; in the hot zone they cover only the highest peaks. The formation of the Cordillera has not yet ended, as evidenced by frequent earthquakes and intense volcanism (more than 80 active volcanoes).

The Cordilleras are unusual in that they are located on two continents at once. In addition to the Rocky Mountains themselves, it includes the Brooks Range in Alaska, the Richardson Range and the Mackenzie Mountains in Canada, and the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain system in Mexico. Highest point belt - Mount Elbert, which is located within the state of Colorado.

It includes the Fraser Plateau, Columbia Mountains, Great Basin Highlands, Colorado Plateau and Mexican Highlands. In Central America and the islands Caribbean Sea The Cordilleras are divided into three main mountain arcs, which are separated by depressions.

The North American cordillera is composed of various geological structures of different ages. Due to the very large extent in the meridional direction, the climate in the Cordillera varies greatly. These mountains stretch along the western side of the above-mentioned continents: from Alaska (northwestern part of North America) to the island Tierra del Fuego, which is located near Antarctica.

The Cordillera is one of the highest mountains in the world.

Only the Himalayas, as well as several other mountain systems in central Asia, surpass them in height. In the territory where the Cordillera is located, entire Indian civilizations arose, unique in their development and cultural heritage.

The Cordilleras of North America are divided into a number of ranges. Further southeast within Canada and the United States, the Cordilleras are called the “Rocky Mountains.” Cordillera on the west of the northern continent. America. Int. Some of them are formed by plateaus, highlands and plateaus - Yukon, Fraser, Columbian, Colorado, Mexican. Glaciers occupy approx. 80 thousand km²; most of them are in the mountains of Alaska. To the east evergreens grow in the periphery of the Mexican highlands rainforests, in the Cordillera Center. America - deciduous tropical forests, thorny bushes, cactus thickets and secondary savannas.

Where is the Cordillera?

In the Cordillera Center. America and the West Indies are distinguished by three mountain arcs: the northern arc follows through the Cayman Islands to Cuba (Sierra Maestra Mountains), Haiti (Central. Southern parts of the internal plateaus are occupied by dry steppes and deserts. Cordillera - This term also has others meanings, see Cordilleras (meanings). large mountains- Cascade, Sierra Nevada and Transverse Volcanic Sierra.

The relief of North America is varied and contrasting. In the west, the plains are adjacent to the mountain structures of the Cordillera. Within the mountainous West of the continent are the Cordilleras. In terms of age, the Cordilleras are the youngest part of the continent, although they began to form in the Mesozoic.

Within this mountain system, three ridge belts are clearly visible. One of them is the Cordillera proper - in the west. The second belt, the eastern one, covers the Rocky Mountains. On far north These ridges come closer together, in the central part, on the contrary, they diverge.

The cordillera prevents the penetration of oceanic air masses deep into the continent. With distance from the Pacific Ocean, significant differences between the northern and southern parts of the Cordillera become more and more clearly visible. By natural features this large mountain system can be divided into the following natural countries: Cordillera of Alaska and Canada, Cordillera of the USA, Mexican Highlands, mountains and islands Central America.

The mountain ranges of this natural country on the east and west they border the Yukon Plateau. The development of the mountains has not yet ended, as evidenced by the large number of active volcanoes. Between them and the Sierra Nevada mountains is deep depression California Valley. This is the mountain system of the Appalachian Highlands, stretching along east coast North America. THE CORDILLERA OF NORTH AMERICA is a system of mountain ranges and plateaus that is part of the Cordillera system and occupies the western part. part of the North America.

Physiographic zoning of the Cordillera

600 - 800 m, and Brooks Mountains, 1200 - 1800 m.

Within Canada, C.S.A. have a southeast. The main uplifts of the Canadian part of the C.S.A. - the Rocky Mountains in the east and the Coast Range in the west - have an alpine topography, due to this. The Canadian Coast Range passes into the Cascade Mountains with volcanics.

The Cordillera is one of the highest mountains in the world

To the south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the mountain belt bifurcates: one branch deviates to the east and continues on the Center Islands. America, the other stretches to the Isthmus of Panama. Between the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and South. America's Cordillera has the character of more or less isolated, mainly. low ridges and massifs.

The snow line in Alaska is at an altitude of 600 meters, on Tierra del Fuego - 500-700 meters, in Bolivia and Southern Peru rises to 6000-6500 meters. The western belt is represented by folded and volcanic ridges that run parallel to the Pacific coast. The inner belt includes a number of plateaus and plateaus located between the other two belts. Thus, the arc, which is a structural continuation of the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Madre Oriental, forms the mountains of the islands of Cuba, northern Haiti and Puerto Rico.

See what “Cordillera of North America” is in other dictionaries:

The mountains began to form in the Jurassic period, a little earlier than the Andes, the formation of which began only at the end of the Cretaceous period. To the north of the 50th latitude, snow-fed watercourses predominate, and to the south - rain. Especially many hydroelectric power plants have been built in the Columbia River Basin.

The Cordillera contains the sources of such large rivers as the Yukon, Mackenzie, Missouri, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande and many others. The North American Cordilleras are located mainly in countries such as Canada, the USA and Mexico.

Cordillera(Spanish Cordilleras, literally - mountain ranges), the largest mountain system on the globe that has no equal in extent. The Cordillera mountain system is also one of the highest mountain systems, second only to the Himalayas and the mountain systems of Central Asia.

Geography of the Cordillera mountain system

The Cordillera extends from the Arctic coast of Alaska (66°N) in northwestern North America along the western coasts of North and South America all the way to the southernmost coast of Tierra del Fuego (56°S) in southern South America. On its way, the Cordilleras pass through many countries of both continents: Canada, the USA, Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile. The length of the Cordillera mountain system is more than 18,000 kilometers. The highest elevation is located in South America at the top of Mount Aconcagua at 6960 meters above sea level, and in North America the highest peak of the Cordillera corresponds to the peak on Mount McKinley (in Alaska) reaching a height of 6193 meters. The Cordillera forms a giant barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the eastern parts of both continents. The Cordillera is a large divide between two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific, and is also the climatic boundary between countries located on both sides of the mountain system. The entire Cordillera mountain system is usually divided into two parts, corresponding to the territories of both continents, these are the Cordillera of North America and the Cordillera of South America, or the Andes. The entire mountain system consists of numerous parallel ridges bordering an intermittent belt of internal plateaus and plateaus (in North America - Yukon, Fraser, Columbian, B. Basin, Colorado, Mexico; in South America - Peruvian and Central Andian). In North America, there are three distinct parallel systems of mountain ranges, one of them (the Rocky Mountains) extends east of the plateau zone, the other system of mountain ranges extends directly to the west of this zone (Alaska Range, Coast Range of Canada, Cascade Mountains, Sierra Nevada etc.) and the third system of mountain ranges runs along the Pacific coast, partly on the coastal islands. Coming to Central America, the Cordillera gradually decreases and bifurcates into two branches. One branch runs in the east along Antilles, the other crosses the Isthmus of Panama and enters the territory of the South American mainland. The Andes (Cordillera of South America) in the northern and central parts consist of four, and in the remaining extent of two systems of parallel ridges, separated by deep longitudinal depressions or intermountain plateaus.

The highest mountain peaks of the Cordillera are the ridges of the middle part of the Andes, where the height of individual mountain peaks reaches more than 6700 m (Aconcagua, 6960 m; Ojos del Salado, 6880 m; Sajama, 6780 m; Llullaillaco, 6723 m). Width mountain range varies quite a lot, so in North America the width of the Cordillera mountain belt reaches 1600 km, and on the Southern continent it reaches only 900 km, which is almost half as much.

The main mountain-building processes, thanks to which the Cordillera arose, began in North America back in the Jurassic period, in South America (where the structures of the Paleozoic Hercynian folding take a large part) - at the end of the Cretaceous period and took place in close connection with the formation of mountain systems on other continents ( cm.

Alpine folding). Mountain-building processes continued actively in the Cenozoic. These processes largely determine the main orographic elements.

The folded structures of the Cordillera are closely related to the mountain systems of northeast Asia and Antarctica. According to recent observations, the formation of the Cordillera is far from over; these observations are confirmed by fairly frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and intense volcanism, often leading to severe destruction and casualties among both people and the animal world.

In the active regions of the Cordillera there are more than 80 active volcanoes, of which the most active are Katmai, Lassen Peak, Colima, Antisana, Sangay, San Pedro, the volcanoes of Chile, etc. Quaternary glaciation also played an important role in the formation of the Cordillera relief, especially to the north of 44° N. w. and south of 40° S. w. The Cordilleras are rich in mineral resources. Here I mine significant deposits of copper (especially rich deposits in Chile), zinc, lead, molybdenum, tungsten, gold, silver, platinum, tin, oil, etc.

Climate of the Cordillera mountain system

Due to its large extent from north to south, the highly dissected terrain and the high altitude of the mountains, the result is an exceptional big variety natural conditions in the Cordillera mountain system. The Cordillera lies in almost all geographical zones globe(except for the Antarctic and subantarctic belt).

The climate of the Cordillera has great diversity and varies greatly depending on the latitude of the area, height and exposure of the slopes. The marginal ridges of the Cordillera are heavily moistened in the temperate and subarctic zones (western slopes) and in the equatorial and subequatorial zones (mainly eastern slopes). The internal plateaus have a sharply continental climate; in the subtropical and tropical zones they are characterized by exceptional aridity. Significant parts of plateaus, internal depressions and slopes of ridges, mainly in tropical zones, are occupied by steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. The heavily humidified outlying mountain ranges are covered with dense forests. In temperate zones, coniferous forests (in the north) and mixed forests of evergreen beech and coniferous trees (in the south) are widely developed; closer to the equator, mixed (deciduous-evergreen) subtropical and tropical forests are found. On the wet slopes of the ridges of the equatorial, subequatorial and subtropical belts there are complex spectra of high zones, from gils to eternal snow. The snow line lies in Alaska at an altitude of 600 m, in Tierra del Fuego 500-700 m, in Bolivia and Southern Peru it rises to 6000-6500 m. In Alaska and Southern Chile, glaciers descend to ocean level; in the hot zone they cover only the highest tops.

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Cordillera

Aconcagua

Mountains of North America
Location: North and South (Andes) Americas
Highest point: McKinley (6193 m) and Aconcagua (6962 m)
Coordinates: 63°4′10″N 151°0′26″W and 32°39′20″S, 70°00′57″W

Cordillera, the largest mountain system on the globe, stretching along the western edges of North and South America, from 66° N. latitude. (Alaska) to 56° S. w. (Terra del Fuego).

The length is more than 18 thousand km, the width is up to 1600 km in North America and up to 900 km in South America. Located in the territory of [Canada, USA, Mexico, Central American countries, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

Almost along their entire length they are a watershed between the basins of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as a sharply defined climatic boundary. They are second in height only to the Himalayas and the mountain systems of Central Asia. The highest peaks of the Cordillera: in North America - Mount McKinley (6193 m), in South America - Mount Aconcagua (6960 m).

The entire Cordillera system is divided into 2 parts - North American Cordillera, and the Cordillera of South America, or the Andes.

The main mountain-building processes, as a result of which the Cordillera arose, began in North America in the Jurassic period, in South America - at the end of the Cretaceous, and took place in close connection with the formation of mountain systems on other continents (Alpine folding). The formation of the Cordillera has not yet ended, as evidenced by frequent earthquakes and intense volcanism (more than 80 active volcanoes). Quaternary glaciation also played an important role in the formation of the Cordillera relief, especially north of 44° N. and south of 40° S.

The Cordilleras lie in all geographical zones (except for the subantarctic and Antarctic) and are distinguished by a wide variety of landscapes and pronounced altitudinal zones. The snow line in Alaska is at an altitude of 600 m, on Tierra del Fuego - 500-700 m, in Bolivia and Southern Peru it rises to 6000-6500 m. In the northwestern part of the Cordillera of North America and in the southeastern Andes, glaciers descend to ocean level, in the hot zone they cover only the highest peaks. The total area of ​​glaciation is about 90 thousand km 2 (in the Cordillera of North America - 67 thousand km 2, in the Andes - about 20 thousand km 2).

Literature

  • Geographical encyclopedic dictionary, M., 1986.

The huge mountain system of the Cordillera consists of two parts - the Cordillera of North America and the Andes (Cordillera of South America). The scale of this mountain range is so large that it covers the territory of eleven countries, such as the USA, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile. Most are located in the United States. The Cordillera is a natural divide between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. High seismicity and volcanism are observed.

The North American Cordillera mountain system is a ridge of parallel mountain ranges stretched along the entire western coast of the continent of North America. The length of this mountain range is 18,000 km. In the United States it covers 7,000 km. It begins near the Coast Ranges, the peak is 2400 m. The longest in length is considered to be the Rocky Mountain range, height 4339 m (Mount Elbert). The highest peak in the North American section of the Cordillera is Mount McKinley - 6193 meters. The width of the Cordillera reaches 1600 meters in America.

In the Cordillera of North America there are three longitudinal belts: eastern, internal, western.

Eastern belt, or the Rocky Mountain belt, consists of a chain of high, massive ridges that mostly serve as a watershed between the Pacific Ocean basin and the basins of the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic Ocean. In the east, the belt is interrupted by a foothill plateau (Arctic, Great Plains). In the west, it is limited in places by deep faults (the “Rocky Mountain Ditch”) or the valleys of large rivers (the Rio Grande). In some places it gradually turns into mountain ranges and plateaus. In Alaska, the Rocky Mountain belt includes the Brooks Range, in northwestern Canada - the Richardson Range and the Mackenzie Mountains, bounded on the north and south by the through valleys of the Peel and Liard rivers.

Inner Cordillera Belt, consisting of plateaus and highlands, is located between the eastern belt and the belt of the Pacific ridges in the west. In interior Alaska, it includes very wide tectonic depressions, occupied by river floodplains, and alternating with hilly massifs up to 1500-1700 m high (Mountains Kilbak, Kuskokwim, Ray). This includes mountain ranges and ranges that are not inferior in height to the ranges of the Rocky Mountains (Cassiar-Omineca Mountains, 2590 m). Within the United States proper there are high mountain ranges in the state of Idaho (altitude up to 3857 m).

Western belt consists of a belt of Pacific ridges, a belt of intermontane lakes and a belt of coastal chains. The belt of Pacific ridges, covering the interior region of the Cordillera, consists of high mountain formations. It includes the Alaska Range with McKinley Peak (6193 m), a chain of volcanic Aleutian Islands, Aleutian ridge (Iliamna volcano, 3075 m), a high-mountain node of the St. Elijah massif, the Coast Range, which forms along its entire length sea ​​bay with rocky shores. In the USA, this belt includes the Cascade Mountains of volcanoes (Rainier volcano, 4392 m), ranges: Sierra Nevada (Mount Whitney, 4418 m), mountains of the California Peninsula (height up to 3078 m), Transverse Volcanic Sierra with the Orizaba volcanoes (5700 m) , Popocatepetl (5452 m), Nevado de Colima (4265 m).

Sea bays and straits (Cook Bay, Shelikhov Straits, Georgia Straits, Sebastian Vizcaino Bay) alternate with lowlands and plateaus (Susitna Lowland, Copper River Plateau, Willamette Valley, Great California Valley). Coastal ranges consist of low and mid-elevation formations (US Coast Ranges, Sierra Vizcaino on the California Peninsula) and mountainous coastal islands (Kodiak, Queen Charlotte, Vancouver, Alexander Archipelago). Greatest height this belt reaches in southern Alaska, in the Chugach Mountains (Marquez-Baker, 4016 m).

Climate

Since the Cordillera of North America occupies an area stretching over 7000 km, the climate differs in different zones. For example, in the northern part, where the Arctic (Brooks Range) and subarctic (part of Alaska) zones pass, glaciation is observed at peaks of 2250 meters. The snow line passes at an altitude of 300-450 meters.

Zones located in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean are characterized by a mild climate, mostly oceanic (at the latitude of San Francisco - Mediterranean), during inland areas– continental. On the Yukon Plateau, the average winter temperature ranges from -30°C, and summer temperature – up to 15°C. In the Great Basin, winter temperatures can reach -17°C, and in summer temperatures often exceed 40°C (absolute maximum 57°C). Humidity in different areas of the Cordillera depends on the distance from coastline. Thus, in the west there is increased humidity and, accordingly, large quantity precipitation. In the direction from the western part to the eastern part, in the central part there is less precipitation. To the east, the tropical climate increases the humidity. Therefore, the average annual precipitation ranges from 3000-4000 mm in southern Alaska, on the coast of British Columbia - up to 2500 mm, on the inland plateau of the USA it decreases to 400-200 mm.

Rivers and lakes

There are many lakes of mountain-glacial and volcanic origin in the Cordillera. These include the Great Salt Lake, Tahoe. The Missouri, Yukon, Colorado, and Columbia rivers originate in the Cordillera of North America. Due to the fact that the eastern belt of mountains is a natural watershed, most of the precipitation that falls within this ridge flows west into the Pacific Ocean. North of 45-50° north latitude on the Pacific coast, rivers are replenished by melting snow and spring floods. South part lakes and rivers exist due to precipitation in the form of rain and snow. The most active replenishment occurs due to snow melting with a winter maximum on the Pacific coast and a spring-summer maximum in the interior regions. The cordillera of the southern zone has no drainage into the ocean and is replenished by short-term watercourses ending in endorheic salt lakes (the largest of them is the Great Salt Lake). In the northern part of the Cordillera are freshwater lakes glacial-tectonic and dammed origin (Atlin, Kootenay, Okanagan, etc.).

Mountainous river reliefs with waterfall zones are used to generate electricity. The most abundant water sources are used for agricultural purposes, in particular for irrigating fields. Some natural cross-sections on the Columbia River are used for the construction of hydroelectric power stations (Grand Coulee, Te Dals, etc.).

Natural areas

Due to the fact that the Cordilleras cross the subarctic, temperate, subtropical and tropical zones, they are divided into 4 main natural regions: the Northwestern, Canadian Cordillera, US Cordillera and Mexican Cordillera.

The US Cordillera is distinguished by its large width - 1600 km, therefore it has a wide range of climatic conditions, landscape and fauna. High forested ridges covered with snowfields and glaciers are directly adjacent to vast, drainless desert plateaus. The climate is subtropical, Mediterranean on the coast, and arid in the interior. On the slopes of high ridges (the Front Range, Sierra Nevada) belts of mountain pine forests (American spruce, larch), coniferous subalpine woodlands and alpine meadows are developed. The low Coast Ranges are home to mountain pine forests, redwood groves, and evergreen hard-leaved shrubs.

In the western Cordillera there were many forests until the 19th century, but in the 19th and especially in the 20th centuries. forests were heavily cut down and burned, and the area under them was significantly reduced (Sitka spruce and Douglas fir, which survived in small numbers on the Pacific coast, were especially affected). The low zones of the internal plateau are occupied by wormwood and shrub semi-deserts and deserts, the low ridges are occupied by pine and pine-juniper woodlands.

In places where people live, large animals have either been destroyed or are on the verge of destruction. Bison and the rare pronghorn antelope are preserved only thanks to national programs. Rich wildlife can only be observed in nature reserves (Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, etc.). In semi-desert areas, rodents, snakes, lizards, and scorpions are common. The population is concentrated near the Pacific coast, where large cities are located (Los Angeles, San Francisco). In the river valleys there are tracts of irrigated land used for subtropical fruit crops. Subtropical woodlands and shrub deserts are used as pastures.

 

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