What type of plate boundary caused the Andes Mountains to form?
It is the result of a convergent plate boundary between the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate. The main cause of the rise of the Andes is the compression of the western rim of the South American Plate due to the subduction of the Nazca Plate and the Antarctic Plate.
What is the history of the Andes?
Period of Formation Formation of the Andes dates back to the Cenozoic Era (approximately between 60 to 2 million years ago). The present form of the mountain range is believed to have taken shape since the Cretaceous Period. It has been a process of continuous evolution and did not happen to be one particular event on the geological time scale.
What gives rise to the Andes Mountains?
The cross section above shows the tectonic situation across South America, which gives rise to the Andes fold mountains and volcanoes like Chaiten. The Andes have been a mountain chain for much longer than previously thought, new research from the University of Bristol, UK suggests.
What are the physical features of the Andes?
From a geographical approach, the Andes are considered to have their western boundaries marked by the appearance of coastal lowlands and a less rugged topography. The Andes Mountains also contain large quantities of iron ore located in many mountains within the range. The Andean orogen has a series of bends or oroclines.
When did the Andes begin to form?
The prevailing view is that the Andes became a mountain range between ten to six million years ago when a huge volume of rock dropped off the base of Earth's crust in response to over-thickening of the crust in this region.
What plates formed the Andes Mountains?
The collision (or convergence) of two of these plates—the continental South American Plate and the oceanic Nazca Plate—gave rise to the orogenic (mountain-building) activity that produced the Andes.
Where were the Andes mountains formed?
BoliviaSedimentary deposits near Cerdas in the Altiplano plateau of Bolivia. These rocks contain ancient soils used to decipher the surface temperature and surface uplift history of the southern Altiplano.
What plate boundary is the Andes?
The North Andes Plate or North Andes Block is a small tectonic plate (microplate) located in the northern Andes. It is squeezed between the faster moving South American Plate and the Nazca Plate to the southwest....North Andes PlateTypeMinorMovement1north-westSpeed123mm/yearFeaturesColombia Ecuador Venezuela2 more rows
How have the Andes mountains formed quizlet?
the Andes were formed from a plate that is subducting at a steep angle compared to the subduction zone that formed the Rocky Mountains.
Are the Andes still growing?
About another 1.3 inches (35 mm/yr) per year is locked up at the plate boundary, squeezing South America, and is released every hundred years or so in great earthquakes. The about final half inch (10 mm/yr) per year crumples South America permanently, building the Andes.
Why are the Andes so long?
Other theories have been advanced for why the Andes are unusually high. Researchers have suggested it is because there are no rivers to wash sediments into the trench between this subducting plate and the continent, creating an unlubricated zone with extra friction to prop up the mountains.
What rock are the Andes made of?
The rocks run the gamut of sedimentary rocks, including: sandstones, siltstones, shales, limestones, and quartzites. Volumetrically and economically, Ordovician and Silurian shales and siltstones are probably the most important sequences (formed 500-440 million and 440-395 million years age, respectively).
What type of plate boundary formed the San Andreas Fault?
transformAccording to the theory of plate tectonics, the San Andreas Fault represents the transform (strike-slip) boundary between two major plates of the Earth's crust: the Northern Pacific to the south and west and the North American to the north and east.
What type of plate is the Nazca Plate?
oceanic tectonic plateThe Nazca Plate or Nasca Plate, named after the Nazca region of southern Peru, is an oceanic tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin off the west coast of South America.
What plates formed the Cascade mountains?
The Cascades are the modern volcanic arc developing where the Juan de Fuca Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate. The Sierra Nevada are the eroded remnants of the volcanic arc developed when the Farallon Plate subducted beneath the continent.
Which type of convergent boundary would create mountains?
Continental-Continental Convergence The earth is pushed up in both plates, but the most dramatic effect occurs in the middle. Over a long period of time, large mountains form, such as the Himalayas and Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain.
Where are the Andes Mountains located?
The Andes Mountains are a series of extremely high plateaus surmounted by even higher peaks that form an unbroken rampart over a distance of some 5...
How did the Andes Mountains get their name?
Some historians believe that the "Andes" in Andes Mountains comes from the Quechuan word anti (“east”). Others suggest it is derived from the Quech...
How did the Andes Mountains form?
About 250 million years ago, the crustal plates constituting Earth’s landmass were joined together into the supercontinent Pangaea. The breakup of...
What is the highest point in the Andes Mountains?
The highest point in the Andes Mountains is Mount Aconcagua, located in the Southern Andes Mountains. Although its peak is in Argentina, its wester...
What is the highest altitude people reside at in the Andes Mountains?
The highest altitude in the Andes Mountains at which people have resided permanently is 17,100 feet (5,212 metres; they were shepherds in southern...
What are the main causes of the evolution of the Andes?
The evolution of the Andes due to plate tectonics, volcanism, and sedimentation has blessed regions of the South American continent with many rich and valuable mineral resources. Mineral wealth exploitation began during the Spanish conquest of South America.
What is the Andes mountain range?
The Andes mountain range is a plateau region including mountains and peaks at different altitudes. Andes is a continuous chain of mountains extending over 7000 km in length. The width of the range varies between 200 km to 700 km, and the greatest width of about 700 km is found in the Central Andes of Bolivia.
What is the process of mountain building?
The process of mountain building due to the deformation of the Earth’s crust caused by plate tectonics is known as orogeny . The word orogenesis has a Greek origin, meaning creation (genesis) of mountain (oros). In this case, the convergence of the Nazca plate with the South American plate results into deformation of the South American (continental) plate. The Nazca plate subducts under the South American plate. The extreme compressional forces result into faulting and uplifting of portions of the continental crust.
What causes mountains to form at the continental margins?
It can be said that the mountain range is largely a consequence of the plate tectonics resulting into massive fold mountains at the continental margins. The oceanic plate (oceanic crust) subducts under the continental plate. The Nazca plate that lies in the eastern Pacific ocean is pulled towards the South American continent.
What is the name of the mountain range in Bolivia?
A mountain range is a series of mountains or line of mountains that is related in origin. The Andes mountain range is a plateau region including mountains and peaks at different altitudes. Andes is a continuous chain of mountains extending over 7000 km in length. The width of the range varies between 200 km to 700 km, and the greatest width of about 700 km is found in the Central Andes of Bolivia. It is spread across the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina on the west coast of the South American continent.
How did the uplift of the continental crust cause the formation of a volcano?
The uplift of the continental crust due to subduction caused huge portions of magma from the mantle to form a volcanic arc along the border of the continental plate. Also, the hot magma intruded the rock structure of the continental plate, resulting in fissure-like veins and dikes (vertical channel) underneath. The actual rise of the mountain range or the process, which gave it the current form, is believed to have been began around 25 million years ago.
Which plate is pulled towards the South American continent?
The Nazca plate that lies in the eastern Pacific ocean is pulled towards the South American continent. Due to the pull, it meets with the South American continental plate. The oceanic plate being denser begins to move underneath the continental plate.
How were the Andes formed?
Among scientists, the prevailing opinion was that the Andes mountain system was formed from 6 to 10 million years ago, as a result of the rapid uplift of deep rocks due to the thickening of the earth’s crust. How were the Andes mountains formed?
Where are the Andes located?
They are located at the junction of the Nazca oceanic plate, which occupies the southeastern Pacific Ocean and the continental plate of South America. Since oceanic plates are much thinner than continental plates, they enter under the continent, and squeezed under the weight of sushi.
What is the name of the rare element found in the Andes?
With the goal of determining the time of the rise of the Andes, a team of researchers from the University of Bristol, the Center for Environmental Research at Scottish Universities and the University of Aberdeen used a new method based on the study of a rare form of helium – cosmogenic helium-3, which forms in minerals on the Earth’s surface as a result of exposure to cosmic rays.
Why is South America the wettest continent in the world?
This is because winds carrying moisture from the Atlantic collide with the Andes, and a huge amount of precipitation falls on their eastern slopes.
Why is it important to understand the processes of mountain formation?
Knowledge of the processes and timing of the formation of mountain systems is of particular importance for understanding their impact on the global circulation of the atmosphere and, ultimately, on the climate.
Where are the Andes Mountains located?
These mountains are part of the Andean-Cordillera mountain range, which stretches from Alaska in the north through the west of the Americas to Antarctica in the south.
Where are the boulders in the Andes?
Scientists analyzed the composition of the boulders, which were located at an altitude of about 1.2 miles (2 km) in the arid western outskirts of the Andes.
What are the Andes?
The Andes are not a single line of formidable peaks but rather a succession of parallel and transverse mountain ranges, or cordilleras, and of intervening plateaus and depressions. Distinct eastern and western ranges—respectively named the Cordillera Oriental and the Cordillera Occidental —are characteristic of most of the system. The directional trend of both the cordilleras generally is north-south, but in several places the Cordillera Oriental bulges eastward to form either isolated peninsula-like ranges or such high intermontane plateau regions as the Altiplano (Spanish: “High Plateau”), occupying adjoining parts of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru.
Where did the name Andes come from?
Some historians believe the name Andes comes from the Quechuan word anti (“east”); others suggest it is derived from the Quechuan anta (“copper”). It perhaps is more reasonable to ascribe it to the anta of the older Aymara language, which connotes copper colour generally.
How long ago did Cordilleras form?
They began as sediments eroded from the Amazonia craton (or Brazilian shield)—the ancient granitic continental fragment that constitutes much of Brazil—and deposited between about 450 and 250 million years ago on the craton’s western flank. The weight of these deposits forced a subsidence (downwarping) of the crust, and the resulting pressure and heat metamorphosed the deposits into more resistant rocks; thus, sandstone, siltstone, and limestone were transformed, respectively, into quartzite, shale, and marble.
What is the Andes Mountains?
Andes Mountains, also called the Andes, Spanish Cordillera de los Andes or Los Andes, mountain system of South America and one of the great natural features on Earth.
How far are the Andes?
The Andes consist of a vast series of extremely high plateaus surmounted by even higher peaks that form an unbroken rampart over a distance of some 5,500 miles (8,900 kilometres) —from the southern tip of South America to the continent’s northernmost coast on the Caribbean.
When did the Cordilleras begin?
They began as sediments eroded from the Amazonia craton (or Brazilian shield)—the ancient granitic continental fragment that constitutes much of Brazil—and deposited between about 450 and 250 million years ago on the craton’s western flank.
When did the crustal plates form the continents?
About 250 million years ago the crustal plates constituting the Earth’s landmass were joined together into the supercontinent Pangaea. The subsequent breakup of Pangaea and of its southern portion, Gondwana, dispersed these plates outward, where they began to take the form and position of the present-day continents.
What are the Andes?
The Andes are the location of several high plateaus —some of which host major cities such as Quito, Bogotá, Cali, Arequipa, Medellín, Bucaramanga, Sucre, Mérida, El Alto and La Paz. The Altiplano plateau is the world's second-highest after the Tibetan plateau.
What caused the rise of the Andes?
The main cause of the rise of the Andes is the compression of the western rim of the South American Plate due to the subduction of the Nazca Plate and the Antarctic Plate.
Why are the Andes so famous?
The Andes rose to fame for their mineral wealth during the Spanish conquest of South America. Although Andean Amerindian peoples crafted ceremonial jewelry of gold and other metals, the mineralizations of the Andes were first mined on a large scale after the Spanish arrival. Potosí in present-day Bolivia and Cerro de Pasco in Peru was one of the principal mines of the Spanish Empire in the New World. Río de la Plata and Argentina derive their names from the silver of Potosí.
How long is the Andes Mountains?
The range is 6,999 km (4,349 mi) long, 200 to 700 km (124 to 435 mi) wide (widest between 18°S - 20°S latitude ), and has an average height of about 4,000 m (13,123 ft). The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina .
What plate is sliding beneath the Antarctic Plate?
Tectonic forces above the subduction zone along the entire west coast of South America where the Nazca Plate and a part of the Antarctic Plate are sliding beneath the South American Plate continue to produce an ongoing orogenic event resulting in minor to major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to this day. In the extreme south, a major transform fault separates Tierra del Fuego from the small Scotia Plate. Across the 1,000 km (620 mi) wide Drake Passage lie the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula south of the Scotia Plate which appear to be a continuation of the Andes chain.
How many countries are there in the Andes?
The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina . Along their length, the Andes are split into several ranges, separated by intermediate depressions.
Why are rock glaciers more common in Chile?
In the high Andes of central Chile and Mendoza Province, rock glaciers are larger and more common than glaciers; this is due to the high exposure to solar radiation.
How were the Andes formed?
Summary: The Andes were formed by tectonic activity whereby Earth is uplifted as one plate (oceanic crust) subducts under another plate (continental crust). To get such a high mountain chain in a subduction zone setting is unusual, which adds to the importance of trying to figure out when and how it happened.
What plates formed the Andes Mountains?
The mountains have been formed as a result of the convergence of the Nazca plate and the South American plate. The heavier oceanic crust of the Nazca plate is pushed towards the South American plate, and because it is denser is subducted underneath.
What era did the Andes mountains form?
Geology. The Andean mountain system is the result of global plate-tectonic forces during the Cenozoic Era (roughly the past 65 million years) that built upon earlier geologic activity. About 250 million years ago the crustal plates constituting the Earth’s landmass were joined together into the supercontinent Pangaea.
What two plates were involved in the Andes forming?
The Nazca Plate is moving eastwards, towards the South American Plate, at about 79mm per year.
Are the Andes mountains growing or shrinking?
It’s been understood that the Andes mountain range has been growing as the Nazca oceanic plate slips underneath the South American continental plate, causing the Earth’s crust to shorten (by folding and faulting) and thicken.
What animals live in the Andes?
Here are just some of the amazing wildlife that thrives in the Andes: The Andean Condor. Few animals are as iconic, in the high Andes, as the spellbinding condor. The Llama. The Alpaca. The Guanaco. The Vicuña. The Viscacha. The Andean (Spectacled) Bear. The Mountain Tapir.
Why is the Nazca plate getting smaller?
The Nazca Plate is getting smaller. On the Nazca Plate’s eastern boundary with the South American Plate, the Nazca Plate is forced down toward the mantle where it melts. The destruction of the eastern edge of the plate far outpaces any growth on the plate’s western edge.
How were the Andes formed?
The Andes were formed by tectonic activity whereby earth is uplifted as one plate (oceanic crust) subducts under another plate (continental crust). To get such a high mountain chain in a subduction zone setting is unusual which adds to the importance of trying to figure out when and how it happened. However, the timing of when the Andean mountain ...
When did the Andes rise?
The prevailing view is that the Andes became a mountain range between ten to six million years ago when a huge volume of rock dropped off the base of Earth's crust in response to over-thickening ...
How did the Andes form?
The Andes were formed by tectonic activity whereby earth is uplifted as one plate (oceanic crust) subducts under another plate (continental crust). To get such a high mountain chain in a subduction zone setting is unusual which adds to the importance of trying to figure out when and how it happened. However, the timing of when the Andean mountain chain uplift occurred has been a topic of some controversy over the past ten years.
When did the Andes become a mountain range?
The prevailing view is that the Andes became a mountain range between ten to six million years ago when a huge volume of rock dropped off the base of Earth's crust in response to over-thickening of the crust in this region. When this large portion of dense material was removed, the remaining portion of the crust underwent rapid uplift.
.jpg)
Overview
Geology
The Andes are a Mesozoic–Tertiary orogenic belt of mountains along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of volcanic activity that encompasses the Pacific rim of the Americas as well as the Asia-Pacific region. The Andes are the result of tectonic plate processes, caused by the subduction of oceanic crust beneath the South American Plate. It is the result of a convergent plate boundary between the Na…
Etymology
The etymology of the word Andes has been debated. The majority consensus is that it derives from the Quechua word anti 'east' as in Antisuyu (Quechua for 'east region'), one of the four regions of the Inca Empire.
The term cordillera comes from the Spanish word cordel 'rope' and is used as a descriptive name for several contiguous sections of the Andes, as well as the entire Andean range, and the combi…
Geography
The Andes can be divided into three sections:
The Southern Andes in Argentina and Chile, south of Llullaillaco. The Central Andes in Peru and Bolivia. The Northern Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. In the northern part of the Andes, the separate Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta range is often treated as part of the Northern Andes.
History
The Andes Mountains, initially inhabited by hunter-gatherers, experienced the development of agriculture and rise of politically centralised civilizations, which culminated in the establishment of the century-long Inca Empire. This all changed in the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors colonized the mountains in the advance of the mining economy.
In tide of anti-imperialist nationalism, the Andes became the scene of a series of independence …
Climate and hydrology
The climate in the Andes varies greatly depending on latitude, altitude, and proximity to the sea. Temperature, atmospheric pressure and humidity decrease in higher elevations. The southern section is rainy and cool, the central section is dry. The northern Andes are typically rainy and warm, with an average temperature of 18 °C (64 °F) in Colombia. The climate is known to change dra…
Flora
The Andean region cuts across several natural and floristic regions, due to its extension, from Caribbean Venezuela to cold, windy and wet Cape Horn passing through the hyperarid Atacama Desert. Rainforests and tropical dry forests used to encircle much of the northern Andes but are now greatly diminished, especially in the Chocó and inter-Andean valleys of Colombia. Opposite of the humid And…
Fauna
The Andes are rich in fauna: With almost 1,000 species, of which roughly 2/3 are endemic to the region, the Andes are the most important region in the world for amphibians. The diversity of animals in the Andes is high, with almost 600 species of mammals (13% endemic), more than 1,700 species of birds (about 1/3 endemic), more than 600 species of reptile (about 45% endemic), and almost 4…