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Physical Characteristics of the Appalachian Mountains Jason Cristiano Ramon, Leaf Group ; Updated March 21, 2018
Along with the Rockies, the Appalachian Mountains -- home to the Appalachian Trail -- are the most famous mountain range in the country; they extend for 1,500 miles from northeastern Alabama to the Canadian border. However, unlike the Rockies, the continent's oldest mountain range is gentler, without significant peaks or heights: The bases of the Rockies' High Plains are either as high or higher than the majority of the summits of the Appalachians. Along with their lower mountain range, the Appalachian Mountains are composed of a range of sloping ridges, crests, valleys and forests.
Physical Characteristics of the Appalachian Mountains
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Although the Appalachian Mountains were once as high as the Rocky Mountains, erosion from the past 100 million years has carved down the mountains to lower ranges that lack, relatively speaking, the ruggedness or height of the Rockies. The
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Appalachian Mountains were originally part of the Pangaea; when the Pangaea broke apart, the Atlantic Ocean was formed, which helped accelerate the erosion of the the high mountains formed from the Pangaea. This eventually became North
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America's eastern coastline, with the eroded, lower mountain range becoming what we know today as the Appalachian Mountains. Divided into four main categories -- the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau -- the
exposed portions of the mountains are made up of volcanic strata and Paleozoic sedimentary layers. The highest summit point along the low mountain range is Mount Mitchell, at about 6,684 feet. This is less than half the highest point of the Rocky Mountains, Mount Elbert, which towers at almost 14,450 feet.
A significant physical characteristic of the Appalachian Mountains is its ridges: Two divisions of the range, the Blue Ridge and the Valley and Ridge, are composed of narrow, rocky formations that distinguish the mountains from surrounding valleys. The Blue Ridge separates the Piedmont from the Valley and Ridge divisions of the Appalachians, while the ridges of the Valley and Ridge division are made from Paleozoic sedimentary rocks shaped by "thrust and folded" rock structures. The tops of the ridges, which are hundreds to more than a thousand feet higher than the surrounding valleys, tend to be covered by rough, jagged sandstone.
The Appalachian Mountains are surrounded by valleys, which are better purposed for human occupation than other parts of the mountain range. As top layers of the valley beds are made mostly of siltstones and shales, with some valleys supported by layers of dolomite and limestone, valleys are more easily eroded away than the tougher sandstone-covered ridges. Their top layers are softer, with more eroded rock layers, and crisscrossed by dozens of rivers, such as the New River.
Much of the Appalachian Mountains are forested, and these trees create a thick, canopy cover along the mountain range. At higher elevations, the mountains are covered by evergreen forests made up of fir and spruce, while the lower parts of the mountains include more broadleaf trees, such as beeches and oaks. The parts of the mountains not covered by trees include the highest peaks of the Northern Appalachians, and in the south where "Balds" -- as these parts are nicknamed -- are composed of open, extensive meadow lands on top of summits. Ad
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Peakbagger.com: Appalachian Mountains(http://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=16) Welcome to Madison County, North Carolina: The Appalachian Mountains & the Trail -- Basic Facts(http://www.visitmadisoncounty.com/activities/hike-theappalachian-trail-in-madison-county/the-appalachian-mountains-and-the-trail/) NASA: Appalachian Mountains(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/multimedia/gallery/iss033e022378.html) Encyclopedia Britannica: Appalachian Mountains -- Drainage(http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/30353/Appalachian-Mountains/41380/Drainage) Emporia State University: Appalachian Mountains(http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/struc_geo/appalach/appalach.htm) Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Appalachian Mountain Section Ridge and Valley Province(http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/field/map13/13ams/index.htm) Peakbagger.com: Rocky Mountains(http://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=14) Encyclopedia Britannica: United States(http://www.britannica.com/presidents/article-77952)
Jason Cristiano Ramon holds a doctorate in political science and a master's degree in philosophy. He has taught political science in China. Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
1. Attribution: Shenandoah National Park(https://www.flickr.com/people/67015038@N06) from Virginia; License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic(//creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en) license 2. Attribution: Ken Thomas(//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ken_Thomas); License: public domain 3. Attribution: Brian Stansberry(//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Bms4880); License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported(//creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en) license 4. Attribution: Ken Thomas(//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ken_Thomas); License: public domain
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