The development of a mountain is known as orogenesis.
Orogenesis is a compound concept that comes from the Greek language. The notion is used in geology to name what is linked to the development and transformation of a mountain . It is worth mentioning that this term is synonymous with orogeny .
Orogenesis is related to the changes that occur in the lithosphere , including various types of deformations and alterations. Faults and folds of the Earth's crust are some of the processes that make up orogenesis.
The theory known as plate tectonics is the most accepted to explain the formation of the lithosphere and the orogenesis that results in the appearance of mountain ranges and elevations on the Earth's surface.
Types of orogenesis
It is possible to distinguish between various types of orogenesis. Paratectonic orogeny (also known as mechanical orogeny ) occurs when plates move, dragging one continental sector, causing it to impact another. The Himalayas , home to the highest mountain in the world ( Mount Everest , 8,848 meters high), were created in this way.
If one plate sinks beneath another (i.e., subducts), we speak of orthotectonic orogeny or thermal orogeny . Volcanic and magmatic activity in general is very important in these processes .
In the context of geological evolution, the current stage reflects orogenesis in two broad orogenetic belts . Throughout history , however, various periods have been recognized that allowed us to reach today's relief : the Caledonian orogeny (which developed about four hundred million years ago), the Variscan orogeny (which took place about three hundred million years ago ) and the Alpine Orogeny (which took place about sixty-two million years ago).
There are various types of orogenesis.
Different training processes
Caledonian orogenesis
This mountain formation process took place approximately 444 million years ago and is also called Caledonian orogenesis ; In all cases, the term that gives it its name is the Latin version of Scotland, Caledonia . At that time, various continents were in full convergence to give rise to the supercontinent that much later would be Pangea .
During the period called Ordovician , about 44 million years before, the expansion of the Rheic Ocean caused the continents Baltica and Avalonia to begin to move towards Laurentia . During this movement , a collision occurred between the two, and it was at that point in history that the Caledonian orogenesis occurred.
Variscan orogeny
Also called Hercynian , the Variscan orogeny took place in the late Paleozoic era, approximately 380 million years ago, and ended 100 million years later. This geological event consisted of the formation of mountains and was due to the movement that was observed at that time of the tectonic plates on the Earth's mantle as a result of the collision between Euramerica (also known as Laurussia ), Gondwana , Avalonia and Armorica , continental masses that They would later form part of Pangea .
The altitude of the mountain systems resulting from this collision had heights similar to those of the Himalayas , and they appeared in the specific areas where the collisions between the continental masses occurred.
Alpine orogeny
This stage is the most recent of the three, as it occurred during the Mesozoic Era , which began approximately 251 million years ago and ended 65 million years ago. The Alpine orogenesis took place when the Cimmerian small plate, the Indian subcontinent and Africa collided against Eurasia . It gave birth to the most important mountain ranges in South Asia and Europe , starting in the Atlantic , passing through the Himalayas and the Mediterranean and ending in the islands of Sumatra and Java .
These are the mountain ranges that were formed during the Alpine orogenesis: Rif, Cantabrian Mountains, Alps, Dinaric Alps, Carpathian Mountains, Taurus Mountains, Elburz Mountains, Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Atlas, Baetic Mountains, Pyrenees, Apennines, Pindus, Balkan Mountains , Caucasus, Zagros, Himalayas and Pamirs .