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 separate object, and indeed 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, then 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, in terms of height, this mountain system is among the leaders, although it is far from in the first place.
Since the Cordilleras stretch for vast distances, they lie in almost all geographical zones. And this means that the conditions here are very diverse. However, something similar is observed throughout the length of the mountains - glaciation. Even in the hottest climatic zones, there are snow caps on the mountains (due to the relatively high altitude of the mountains). The total area of glaciation is 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 the height is rather conventional.
The highest peaks of the mountain system are:
- - Mount Aconcagua (extinct volcano) - 6962 meters.
- - Mount Denali (McKinley) - 6190 meters.
- - Ojos del Salado (the largest volcano in the world) - 6891 meters.
- - Monte Pissis - 6792 meters.
- - Lullaillaco (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 a certain uniqueness to the Cordillera.
You can also note the presence of mountain ranges and basins that form elevations and depressions of the relief - this is very interesting.
- - In the Cordillera there is a fairly high volcanic activity. True, we are not talking about erupting volcanoes.
- - In the mountains there are large reserves of non-ferrous and ferrous metals, as well as oil and brown coal.
- - Due to the large number climatic zones, vegetable world The Cordillera is very diverse.
The mountains of America are primarily the Cordillera system - the longest mountain system in the world, which stretches along the western coast of 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 sowing. parts of the Cordillera are covered in main. coniferous forests.
Cordilleras lie in all geographical zones of America (except for the subantarctic and antarctic) and differ great variety landscapes and pronounced altitudinal zonation.
In the northwestern part of the Cordillera of North America and in the southeast of the 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 Eastern Sierra Madre mountain range in Mexico. The highest point of the belt is Mount Elbert, which is located within the state of Colorado.
It includes the Fraser Plateau, the Columbia Mountains, the Great Basin Highlands, the Colorado Plateau, and the Mexican Highlands. In Central America and the islands caribbean The Cordilleras fall into three main mountain arcs, which are separated by depressions.
The Cordilleras of North America are composed of various geological structures of different ages. Due to the very long extent in the meridional direction, the climate in the Cordillera varies greatly. These mountains stretch along the western side of the aforementioned continents: from Alaska (the northwestern part of North America) to the island of Tierra del Fuego, which is located not far from Antarctica.
The Cordilleras are one of the highest mountains in the world.
Only the Himalayas, as well as several other mountain systems of the central part of Asia, surpass them in height. On the territory where the Cordilleras are located, entire civilizations of the Indians were born, unique in their development and cultural heritage.
The Cordillera of North America is divided into a number of ranges. Further southeast within Canada and the United States, the Cordillera are called the "Rocky Mountains". Cordillera in the west of the mainland Sev. America. Int. some form a plateau, highlands and plateaus - Yukon, Fraser, Colombian, Colorado, Mexican. Glaciers cover approx. 80 thousand km²; most of them are in the mountains of Alaska. To the east the periphery of the Mexican Highlands grow evergreen rainforests, in the Cordillera Center. Americas - deciduous tropical forests, thorny bushes, thickets of cacti and secondary savannahs.
Where are the Cordillera located?
In the Cordillera Center. America and the West Indies, three mountain arcs are distinguished: the northern arc follows through the Cayman Islands to Cuba (the Sierra Maestra mountains), Haiti (the Central. Southern parts of the internal plateaus are occupied by dry steppes and deserts. Cordillera - This term has others meanings, see Cordillera (disambiguation) Part of the western belt are large mountains - the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada range and the Transverse Volcanic Sierra.
The relief of North America is diverse and contrasting. In the west, the plains adjoin the mountain structures of the Cordilleras. Within the mountainous West of the mainland are the Cordilleras. By age, the Cordillera is the youngest part of the mainland, although they began to form in the Mesozoic.
Within this mountain system, three belts of ridges are clearly visible. One of them - the Cordillera proper - in the west. The second belt, eastern, covers the Rocky Mountains. In the far north, these ranges converge, in the central part, on the contrary, they diverge.
Cordilleras prevent the penetration of oceanic air masses deep into the continent. With the distance from the Pacific Ocean, significant differences between the northern and southern parts of the Cordillera are more and more clearly visible. By natural features this large mountain system can be divided into such natural countries: the Cordillera of Alaska and Canada, the Cordillera of the United States, the Mexican Highlands, the mountains and islands of Central America.
The mountain ranges of this natural country fringe the Yukon Plateau to the east and west. 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 a deep depression of the California Valley. This is a mountain system of the Appalachian Highlands, stretching along the east coast of North America. The Cordillera of North America is a system of mountain ranges and plateaus, which is part of the Cordillera system and occupies the west. part of Sev. America.
Physical-geographical zoning of the Cordillera
600 - 800 m, and the Brooks Mountains, 1200 - 1800 m.
Within Canada, C. S. A. has 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 relief, due to the mean. The Canadian Coast Range passes into the Cascade Mountains from the volcanic.
Cordillera - 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 E and continues on the Center Islands. America, the other stretches to the Isthmus of Panama. Between the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and South. America, the Cordillera have the character of more or less isolated, predominantly. low ridges and massifs.
The snow limit in Alaska is at an altitude of 600 meters, in Tierra del Fuego - 500-700 meters, in Bolivia and Southern Peru it 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 two other belts. Thus, the arc, which is a structural continuation of the Rocky Mountains and the Eastern Sierra Madre, forms the mountains of the islands of Cuba, northern Haiti and Puerto Rico.
See what the Cordillera of North America is in other dictionaries:
The mountains began to form in the Jurassic, a little earlier than the Andes, whose formation began only at the end of the Cretaceous. To the north of the 50th latitude, the snow supply of watercourses predominates, and to the south - rain. Especially many hydroelectric power plants have been built in the Columbia River basin.
In the Cordillera are the origins of such major rivers like Yukon, Mackenzie, Missouri, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande and many more. The Cordilleras of North America are found mainly in countries such as Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Cordillera(Spanish Cordilleras, literally - mountain ranges), the largest and unparalleled mountain system on the globe. 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 stretch 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 southern shores 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, the states of Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile. The length of the Cordillera mountain system is more than 18,000 kilometers. The highest point is located in South America on 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 form a giant barrier between the Pacific Ocean and eastern parts both continents. The Cordilleras are a large watershed between two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific, and are also the climatic boundary between countries located on both sides of the mountain system. It is customary to divide the entire mountain system of the Cordillera 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 a discontinuous belt of internal plateaus and plateaus (in North America - the Yukon, Fraser, Colombian, B. Basin, Colorado, Mexican; in South - Peruvian and Central Andean). There are three distinct mountain range systems in North America, one of which (Rocky Mountains) extends to the east of the tableland zone, another system of mountain ranges extends immediately 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 coast of the Pacific Ocean, partly on the coastal islands. Arriving in Central America, the Cordillera gradually descends and bifurcates into two branches. One branch runs east along the Antilles, the other crosses the Isthmus of Panama and enters the territory of the mainland of South America. The Andes (Cordilleras of South America) in the northern and central parts consist of four, and in the rest of the length 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 Andes, where the height of individual mountain peaks reaches more than 6700 m (Aconcagua, 6960 m; Ojos del Salado, 6880 m; Sajama, 6780 m; Lullaillaco, 6723 m). The width of the mountain range varies quite a lot, so in North America the width of the Cordillera mountain belt reaches 1600 km, and on the southern mainland it reaches only 900 km, which is almost half as much.
The main mountain building processes, due to which the Cordillera arose, began in North America as early as 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 actively continued in the Cenozoic. These processes largely determine the main orographic elements.
The folded structures of the Cordillera are closely connected with the mountain systems of northeast Asia and Antarctica. According to the latest observations, the formation of the Cordillera is far from over, in confirmation of these observations, quite frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and intense volcanism often lead to severe destruction and casualties both among people and among 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, volcanoes of Chile, etc. Quaternary glaciation also played an important role in shaping the relief of the Cordillera, especially to the north of 44° N sh. and south of 40°S. sh. The Cordilleras are rich in minerals. Here I mine significant deposits of copper (especially rich deposits in Chile), zinc, lead, molybdenum, tungsten, gold, silver, platinum, tin, oil, etc.
The climate of the Cordillera mountain system
Due to its great length from north to south, the strong dissection of the relief and the high altitude of the mountains, the result is an exceptionally wide variety of natural conditions in the Cordillera mountain system. Cordilleras lie in almost all geographic zones the globe(except for the Antarctic and subantarctic belts).
The climate of the Cordillera is very diverse and varies greatly depending on the latitude, altitude and exposure of the slopes. The marginal ridges of the Cordillera are strongly 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 distinguished by exceptional aridity. Significant parts of the plateaus, internal depressions and slopes of the ridges, mainly in the tropical zones, are occupied by steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. The heavily moistened outlying mountain chains are covered with dense forests. Coniferous forests (in the north) and mixed forests of evergreen beeches and conifers (in the south) are widely developed in temperate zones, and mixed (deciduous-evergreen) subtropical and tropical forests are closer to the equator. On the wet slopes of the ridges of the equatorial, subequatorial and subtropical belts, there are complex spectra of high belts, from hyla to eternal snow. The snow limit 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.
The Cordilleras are mountains, a huge system of which occupies the western edge of the continent of North America. They stretched for about 7 thousand km. The Cordilleras are mountains characterized by a wide variety of natural conditions. They are characterized by a number of features, and this determines their uniqueness among the rest of the mountain systems of our planet.
General characteristics of the Cordillera
Where are the Cordillera Mountains located? They are predominantly elongated in the submeridional direction. These mountains are formed within five orotectonic belts of different ages. The Cordilleras have in their composition a significant proportion of highlands (2.5-3 thousand or more meters above sea level). They have active volcanism and high seismicity. The large extent of these mountains from north to south has led to the presence here of many spectra of altitudinal zonality. Cordillera - mountains formed at the junction between lithospheric plates. The border between them almost coincides with the coastline.
Composition of the Cordillera
The third part of the area of the entire continent is occupied by a mountain fold-block system. It has a width of 800-1600 km. It includes mountain plateaus, intermountain basins, ranges, as well as volcanic plateaus and mountains. Young deformations, volcanism, denudations have undergone the Cordillera, which determined their current appearance and disguised many geological structures that appeared earlier. The mountain system is very heterogeneous both in the transverse and in the longitudinal direction.
More about the structure of the Cordillera
The structure of the surface of the mainland, where the mountains of the Cordillera are located, is asymmetrical. They occupy its western part, eastern - low mountains and vast plains. The western part is located at an altitude of about 1700 meters, and the eastern - 200-300 m. 720 meters is the average height of the continent.
The Cordilleras are mountains that include a number of mountain arcs, which are elongated mainly in the direction from the northwest to the southeast. From Mackenzie, Mt. Brooks, the Rocky Mountains consists of the eastern arc. A discontinuous belt formed from internal plateaus and plateaus is located to the west of these ranges. 1-2 thousand meters is their height. The Cordilleras are mountains that include the following plateaus and plateaus: the Yukon Plateau, the Columbian Plateau and the British Columbia Plateau, the Great Basin, the plateaus and the volcanic plateau of the Mexican Highlands (its inner part). For the most part, they represent an alternation of basins, ridges and table flat surfaces.
The highest mountain
The Cordilleras from the western part are marked by a system of the highest ridges. These are the Aleutian Ridge, the Aleutian Islands, the Alaska Ridge. The latter reaches a height of 6193 meters. This is McKinley, the highest mountain shown in the photo above. Cordillera - a system that also includes in the western part the Cascade Mountains, the Canadian Coast Range, the Western Sierra Madre and the Sierra Nevada, as well as the Transverse Volcanic Sierra located here (5700 meters), etc.
To the west of them, the height decreases. The Cordilleras are mountains that smoothly merge into the flat part of the mainland. It is occupied in the west by either Puget Sound, Cook), or lowlands (California Valley, Willamette River Valley). This coast of the continent is formed by the St. Elijah, Chugach, Kenai, Canadian Island Ranges, and the US Coast Ranges. The chains of the Cordillera to the south of the Mexican highlands bifurcate. One of them deviates to the east, forming the islands of the West Indies and underwater ridges, after which it passes into the Venezuelan Andes. The second half stretches through the Isthmus of Panama and Tehuantepec to the Colombian Andes.
What is the reason for the diversity of the relief of mountains?
It is associated with different ages land areas, as well as with the history of their development. The mainland did not immediately form in its present form. The mountains of the Cordillera in their present form arose thanks to various processes that took place in different time on the continent.
For the Laurentian Upland, marked by the most ancient geological structures, the relief is characterized by leveling surfaces, the formation of which began at the beginning of the Paleozoic. The wavy surface of the modern upland was determined by the different resistance of rocks to denudation, as well as uneven tectonic movement. The lowering of the central part of the territory caused a cover Quaternary glaciation, due to which the depressions of the modern one were formed. In addition, under its influence, the accumulation of water-glacial and moraine sediments occurred, which formed the type of relief (moraine-hilly).
Great and belong to the type of reservoir. Under the influence of denudation processes in various places, depending on the characteristics of the occurrence of various rocks, cuest ridges (Great Lakes), stepped plateaus (Great Plains region), middle mountains and erosion low mountains (Washita, Ozarks) were formed.
The relief of the Cordilleras themselves is very complex. The strip of compression of the earth's crust is crossed by numerous faults, starting from the bottom of the ocean and ending on land. The mountain building process has not been completed yet. This is evidenced by volcanic eruptions (for example, Popocatepetl and Orizaba), as well as strong earthquakes that occur here from time to time.
Minerals
As you know, many different minerals can be found where there are mountains. The Cordillera is no exception. There are huge reserves of ores of non-ferrous and ferrous metals. From non-metallic, one can distinguish oil, which is located in intermountain troughs. Stocks of brown coal are available in the Rocky Mountains (their internal basins).
Climate
We continue the description of the mountains with the characteristics of the climate. The Cordilleras are in the path of oceanic air masses. Because of this, the influence of the ocean sharply weakens to the east. This climatic feature The Cordillera is reflected in the soil and vegetation cover, the development of modern glaciation, and altitudinal zonation. The elongation from north to south of the mountain ranges predetermines the differences in temperatures in summer and winter. In winter, it ranges from -24 ° С (in the Alaska region) to +24 ° С (Mexico, south of the country). In summer the temperature reaches from +4 to +20 °C.
Precipitation
The northwest receives the most rainfall. The fact is that this part of the Cordillera is located on the way westerly winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean. The amount of precipitation here is approximately 3000 mm. Tropical latitudes are the least humidified, since oceanic air masses do not reach them. The low amount of precipitation is also due to the cold current passing near the coast. The inner plateaus of the Cordillera are also not very wet. The mountains are located within the temperate, subarctic, tropical and subtropical climatic zones.
Rivers and lakes of the Cordillera
A significant part of the western rivers of the continent originates precisely in the Cordillera. Mostly their food is snow and glacial, in the summer there is a flood. These rivers are mountainous, swift. The largest of them are Colorado and Columbia. The lakes of the Cordillera are of glacial or volcanic origin. On the inner plateaus there are saline shallow water bodies. These are the remains of large lakes that existed here for a long time, in times of a humid climate.
Vegetable world
The flora of the Cordilleras is very diverse. Coniferous forests with a peculiar appearance are located up to 40 ° N. sh. By species composition they are very rich. Spruce, cypress, fir, thuja (red cedar) are their typical representatives. Height coniferous trees reaches 80 meters. Between them there is practically no woody undergrowth. However, a variety of shrubs grow here in abundance. There are many mosses and ferns in the ground cover. In the coniferous forests, when moving south, sugar pine, white fir, and yellow pine begin to come across. The evergreen sequoia appears further south. As dryness increases, south of 42 ° N. sh., thickets of bushes are replaced by forests. They are juniper, heather, and their height usually does not exceed two meters. Here you can sometimes find different types evergreen oak. The humidity of the climate in the interior of the Cordillera is decreasing. They are characterized by dry forests, as well as areas of saltwort and wormwood deserts. The mountain slopes that receive rainfall are covered up to a height of 1200 m with evergreen forests.
Animals living in the mountains of the Cordillera
Where the Cordillera mountains are located, one can meet brown bear grizzly - a large predator of the continent of North America. having long black fur, lives in the southwest of this system. It destroys livestock and spoils crops. There are also many lynxes, foxes, wolves. Arthropods, lizards, snakes are often found in the southern regions of the mountains. In addition, the gilatooth lives here - the only legless poisonous lizard. Large animals in places where people live are either destroyed or are extremely rare. Bison and pronghorn (a rare antelope) are only saved through national programs in North America. Only in the reserves one can observe today a rich animal world.
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 great that it covers the territory of eleven states, such as: USA, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile. Most of it is located in the USA. The Cordilleras are a natural watershed between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There is high seismicity and volcanism.
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 Rocky Mountains are considered the longest in length, the height is 4339 m (Mount Elbert). Mount McKinley is considered the highest peak in the North American section of the Cordillera - 6193 meters. The width of the Cordillera reaches 1600 meters in America.
In the Cordillera of North America, there are three longitudinal belts: eastern, inland, western.
Eastern Belt, or the Rocky Mountain belt, consists of a chain of high massive ridges, for the most part serving 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 the foothill plateau (Arctic, Great Plains). In the west, it is limited in places by deep faults ("Moat of the Rocky Mountains") or valleys of large rivers (Rio Grande). In some places it gradually turns into mountain ranges and plateaus. In Alaska, the Brooks Range belongs to the Rocky Mountain belt; in northwestern Canada, the Richardson Range and the Mackenzie Mountains, bounded from the north and south by the through valleys of the Peel and Liard rivers.
Inner Cordillera Belt, consisting of plateaus and uplands, is located between the eastern belt and the belt of the Pacific ridges in the west. In inner 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 (Kassiar-Omineka Mountains, 2590 m). Within the US proper, there are high mountain ranges in the state of Idaho (height up to 3857 m).
western belt consists of a belt of Pacific ridges, a belt of intermountain lakes and a belt of coastal chains. The belt of the Pacific ridges, covering the inner region of the Cordillera, consists of high mountain formations. It includes the Alaska Range with Mount McKinley (6193 m), the chain of volcanic Aleutian Islands, the Aleutian Range (Iliamna Volcano, 3075 m), the high-mountain node of the St. In the USA, this belt includes the Cascade Mountains of Volcanoes (Rainier Volcano, 4392 m), ranges: the Sierra Nevada (Mount Whitney, 4418 m), the mountains of the California Peninsula (height up to 3078 m), the Transverse Volcanic Sierra with Orizaba volcanoes (5700 m) , Popocatepetl (5452 m), Nevado de Colima (4265 m).
Sea bays and straits (Cook Bay, Shelikhov Straits, Georgia, Sebastian-Viscaino Bay) alternate with lowlands and plateaus (Susitna Lowland, Copper River Plateau, Willamette Valley, Great California Valley). Coastal chains consist of low and medium-altitude formations (US Coast Ranges, Sierra Vizcaino on the California Peninsula) and mountainous coastal islands (Kodiak Islands, Queen Charlotte, Vancouver, Alexander Archipelago). This belt reaches its highest height in the south of Alaska, in the Chugach Mountains (Marques-Baker, 4016 m).
Climate
Since the Cordilleras of North America occupy a space stretched for 7000 km, the climate in different zones is different. For example, in the northern part, where the arctic (Brooks Ridge) and subarctic (part of Alaska) zones pass, glaciation is observed on the peaks of 2250 meters. The snow border passes at an altitude of 300-450 meters.
The zones located in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean are distinguished by a mild climate, to a greater extent, oceanic (at the latitude of San Francisco - Mediterranean), in the interior - continental. On the Yukon plateau, the average winter temperature fluctuates within -30°С, summer - up to 15°С. In the Great Basin, winter temperatures drop to -17°C, while summer temperatures often exceed 40°C (the absolute maximum is 57°C). Humidity in different areas of the Cordillera depends on the distance from coastline. So, in the west there is increased humidity and, accordingly, more precipitation. In the direction from the western part to the east, in the central part - less precipitation. To the east, the tropical climate increases the humidity. Therefore, the average annual precipitation ranges from 3000-4000 mm in the south of Alaska, on the coast of British Columbia - up to 2500 mm, on the inner plateau of the United States it drops 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. To the north of 45-50 ° north latitude on the Pacific coast, the rivers are replenished due to snowmelt and spring floods. The southern part of the lakes and rivers exists due to precipitation in the form of rain and snow. The most active replenishment occurs due to snowmelt with a winter maximum on the Pacific coast and a spring-summer maximum in inland regions. The cordillera of the southern zone do not have a runoff into the ocean and are replenished by short-term streams ending in drainless salt lakes (the largest of them is the Great Salt Lake). In the northern part of the Cordillera there are freshwater lakes of glacial-tectonic and dam origin (Atlin, Kootenay, Okanagan, and others).
The mountainous reliefs of the rivers, which have zones of waterfalls, are used to generate electricity. The most full-flowing water sources are used for agricultural purposes, in particular for irrigating fields. Part of the natural alignments on the Columbia River are used for the construction of hydroelectric power stations (Grand Coulee, Te Dulce, etc.).
natural areas
Due to the fact that the Cordilleras cross the subarctic, temperate, subtropical and tropical belt, they are divided into 4 main natural regions: the Northwest, the Canadian Cordillera, the US Cordillera and the Mexican Cordillera.
The US Cordilleras are distinguished by their large width - 1600 km, therefore they differ a wide range climatic conditions, landscape and fauna. High wooded ridges, covered with snowfields and glaciers, directly adjoin here to vast drainless desert plateaus. The climate is subtropical, Mediterranean on the coast, arid in the interior. On the slopes of high ridges (Forward Range, Sierra Nevada) belts of mountain pine forests (American spruce, larch), coniferous subalpine woodlands and alpine meadows are developed. Mountain pine forests, sequoia groves and evergreen hard-leaved shrubs grow in the low Coast Ranges.
In the west of the Cordillera, many forests grew until the 19th century, but in the 19th and especially in the 20th centuries. forests were severely cut down and burned, and the area under them was significantly reduced (Sitka spruce, Douglas, preserved in small numbers on the Pacific coast, were especially affected). The low zones of the inner plateau are occupied by sagebrush and shrub semi-deserts and deserts, the low ridges are occupied by pine and pine-juniper woodlands.
In places where people live, large animals are either destroyed or are on the verge of destruction. Bison, a rare pronghorn antelope, are only preserved through national programs. The rich fauna can be observed only in reserves (Yellowstone national park, Yosemite National Park, etc.). In semi-desert areas, rodents, snakes, lizards, and scorpions are predominantly distributed. The population is concentrated near the Pacific coast, where large cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco) are located. In the river valleys - arrays of irrigated lands used for subtropical fruit crops. Subtropical woodlands and scrub deserts are used as pastures.
One of the largest mountain systems on our planet is the Cordillera Mountains.
They amaze with their huge scale (they are perfectly visible from space, if you look at the mainland), length and extraordinary beauty with their inherent uniqueness of the local climate, flora and fauna.
Where are the Cordillera
The Cordilleras (Cordilleras, the English origin of the name) are located on the west coast of America and stretch from north to south. These are huge mountains several thousand kilometers long, up to 18,000 km long and 1,600 km wide.
Looking at the physical map of the world, you can see that the mountains pass through 10 countries and capture the entire western hemisphere of the earth. The coordinates are impressive: south latitude 32/39/12; west longitude 70/00/42.
Note: the age of this system is simply enormous - the Cordilleras were formed in the Jurassic period, and scientists say that their formation has not yet ended, as evidenced by frequent volcanoes (more than 80 active).
The highest point of the Cordillera
The average height of the Cordillera is 3-4 thousand meters above sea level. The highest point of the Cordillera is Mount Aconcagua, located in South America in the Andes near the border with Chile.
Mount Aconcagua
And the place where the Andes formed is called the Patagonian platform. The absolute height of this mountain is about seven thousand kilometers (6961 m) above sea level.
In North America, the highest point of the Cordillera is Mount Denali, located in southern Alaska. Mountain just below Aconcagua, height 6190 m.
Characteristics of the Cordillera of North America
The mountains originate in Alaska and pass through the entire continent, through three countries (Canada, USA, Mexico) to a point in the south in the valley of the Mexican river Balasas on the border with Central America.
The tectonic structure is complex, there are: areas of ancient, middle and new folding, many active volcanoes.
Throughout the length of the Cordillera there are three main belts:
- internal - consists of plateaus and plateaus in the middle of the western and eastern, there are many tectonic depressions with rivers;
- eastern - belt of the Rocky Mountains, large ridges separate Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico Arctic Ocean ;
- western - volcanic mountains parallel to the Pacific coast.
Three main arcs of the Cordillera
In Central America, the mountains diverge into arcs:
- One arc forms mountains in Cuba and northern Puerto Rico and Haiti. The arc was formed from the eastern and western belts, from the north.
- The other starts from the borders of Mexico from the south, further through Central America, to the western part of Panama. This arc smoothly transitions into .
- The last arc from the south of the western belt takes the direction to the mountains of the southern side of Puerto Rico and Haiti, and the mountains of Jamaica.
Geological structure and minerals
The lowlands between the mountain ranges accumulated sedimentary rocks for a long time.
And now large deposits of minerals have formed in the mountains of North America, while the mountains themselves are valuable in metal ore:
- there are oil fields in Alaska;
- the Rocky Mountains are rich in copper, gold, and tungsten;
- the coastal part of the ridges is of interest for the extraction of mercury and coal.
natural areas
Since the Cordilleras run through all of America, then natural areas mountains capture everything: forest-tundra, mixed forests, forest-steppes, forests, semi-deserts and deserts, tropical shrouds and forests. Only the arctic and subarctic zones are missing.
Rivers and lakes of the Cordillera
In the north of Alaska there are glaciers (large - Bering). Many rivers begin their journey in the Cordillera mountains, for example: Missouri, Yukon. Very full-flowing rivers of the Pacific basin.
The southern rivers are filled with rainwater, the northern rivers are fed by glaciers and snow.
Spring high water is typical for the northern regions of the mountains. The strong northern rivers are used for irrigation and power generation. Notable Reservoirs: Columbia, Colorado. There are also fresh and salt lakes.
Climate and climatic zones
The climate in the Cordillera is diverse due to the vast territory on which they are located:
- Humidity in the southern part of the mountains is not more than 60%, and in the northern part up to 80%.
- The average air t in summer in July is plus, in the south up to 30 degrees, and in the north up to 15. Winter average t in January in the north is -30, in the southern regions -17.
- The amount of precipitation per year is the largest in southern Alaska up to 4000 mm, and the most meager in the Mojave Desert - 50 mm.
Mountains, passing through all climatic zones:
- the south is the tropics and subtropics;
- north of the belt changes climate from arctic to subarctic, then moderate ;
- in the central, inland regions - the continental belt, and on the Pacific slopes of the mountains - the soft oceanic.
Flora and fauna
The natural landscape of the mountains is very diverse (due to altitudinal zonation).
Allocate natural areas:
- Northwestern consists mainly of glaciated mountain peaks and plateaus. The climate is harsh, permafrost, to the south coast - a little warmer. The landscape is tundra, woodland. Deer, lemings, and many birds live in the tundra. Bears, wolves, lynxes, cougars can be seen in the forests.
- Canadian Cordillera in southeastern Alaska. Moderate climate, cedar and fir forests in the landscape. Tui grow on the slopes of the Pacific coast. The inhabitants of the forests are deer, mountain sheep, elks, bears, wolverines, cougars, foxes.
- US Cordillera is the country where most of them are located. Nature is also very rich, on the slopes of the mountains - pine forests. There are dry plateaus. The low coastal mountains are covered with evergreen bushes and relict trees. Animal world significantly exterminated. Lizards, snakes, rodents live in semi-deserts.
- mexican cordillera- the climate is dry, there are many seismic zones. Shrubs, forests, cacti grow in the savannahs. Hares, wolves, cougars, rodents are inhabitants of the local desert. Wolves, lynxes, bears live in the forests, and monkeys, tapirs, and predators live in the tropics.
National parks in the Cordillera
In order to see the many sights, you must definitely visit the reserves located on the territory of the Cordillera.
Grand Canyon
To get acquainted with the peculiarities of flora and fauna, appreciate the beauty of the landscape, see volcanoes, you can go to one of the national parks:
- In the USA - Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Sequoia, Yosemite, Glacier.
- In Canada - Yoho, Banff, Jasper, Garibaldi, Nahanni.
Conclusion
The area and grandeur of the Cordillera is amazing, geographical position and a large number of mountain ranges with amazing secrets attracts and makes you want to go on a trip.
