Mountains

In science we have been talking about mountains and how they form. For Mrs. Cobias class we had to make a graph to represent the tallest mountains on each continents. And I hade a little puzzle of the world and each continent was a piece and on every piece their was a label of the tallest mountain. This first started my fascination about mountains. There are so many mountains and it is hard to determine the height of all of them. Mountains form in so many ways and all of them are fascinating. Just the statement that a mountain is so massive and how it can not be moved.

All of the tallest mountains on each continent together is called the seven peaks, and yes there is one for antarctica because it is still a continent. Now not all them are determine because it is hard to find the actual continental boundaries and it is hard when two continents are joined by land. Boundaries are usually determined by things like what kind of rocks are in the region. This is true for Europe and Asia because Mt. Elbrus which is in Russia and depending on the boarder it is either in Europe or Asia. If it is in Asia than Mount Blanc is the tallest mountain in Europe. If it is in Europe than it would be the tallest mountain in Europe.

With satellite technology and GPS we have been more accurate in calculating the height of mountains, although there is still a margin of error of about 5 meters. As you all Know mount Everest is the tallest mountain, but you probably do not know what the second tallest mountain is. If you are wondering and can not figure it out it is called K2. K2 is another mountain in the Himalayas but it is in a different region of the Himalayas than mount Everest. Mt Everest is near Nepal and the is by the western part of where the India plate is sliding into the Asian plate. K2 is located near Pakistan and where the north part of the Indian plate is sliding into the Asian plate.

Some people climb Mountains like Mt Everest and K2 for a hobby. K2 is shorter but it is difficult to climb because there is only one side you can climb. Mt Everest is taller but has a couple of more routes you can take. When climbing the mountains the higher you get the less oxygen there is in the air, so you are encouraged to take bottled oxygen when you climb. Some people who like to go down in history actually climb to the top with out bottled oxygen which is a pretty good accomplishment if you do it and do not die. There are also a lot of sicknesses you can get on the mountain that can kill you fast. Like one where your body is not use to the quick change in oxygen level, elevation, and temperature and your brain swells and you get a massive head ache and if you do get it you are basically dead. Their has only been one person to survive it. I would not be brave enough to ever climb a mountain like that.