Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains | |
---|---|
The Rockies (en), Les montagnes Rocheuses (fr), Montañas Rocosas, Rocallosas (es) | |
Highest point | |
Peak | Mount Elbert, CO |
Elevation | 14,440 feet (4401.2 m)[1] |
Coordinates | 39°07′03.9″N 106°26′43.2″W / 39.117750°N 106.445333°W |
Dimensions | |
Length | 4,828 km (3,000 mi)(straight-line distance) |
Width | 650 km (400 mi) |
Area | 777,000 km2 (300,000 sq mi)[2] |
Geography | |
Countries |
|
Provinces/States | |
Range coordinates | 43°44′28″N 110°48′07″W / 43.741°N 110.802°W |
Parent range | North American Cordillera |
Geology | |
Age of rock | Precambrian and Cretaceous |
Type of rock |
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major
The Rockies formed 55 million to 80 million years ago during the
Most of the highest summits of the Rocky Mountains are in Colorado, with that state having an average elevation in excess of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). Public parks and forest lands protect much of the mountain range, and they are popular tourist destinations, especially for hiking, camping, mountaineering, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, snowmobiling, skiing, and snowboarding.
Etymology
The name of the mountains is a translation of an
Geography
The Rocky Mountains are the easternmost portion of the expansive North American Cordillera. They are often defined as stretching from the Liard River in British Columbia[7]: 13 south to the headwaters of the Pecos River, a tributary of the Rio Grande, in New Mexico. The Rockies vary in width from 110 to 480 kilometres (70 to 300 miles). The Rocky Mountains contain the highest peaks in central North America. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert in Colorado at 4,401 metres (14,440 feet) above sea level. Mount Robson in British Columbia, at 3,954 m (12,972 ft), is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.
The eastern edge of the Rockies rises dramatically above the
Central ranges of the Rockies include the La Sal Range along the Utah-Colorado border, the Abajo Mountains and Henry Mountains of Southeastern Utah, the Uinta Range of Utah and Wyoming, and the Teton Range of Wyoming and Idaho.
The western edge of the Rockies includes ranges such as the
The Canadian Rockies are defined by Canadian geographers as everything south of the
The
Human population is not very dense in the Rockies, with an average of four people per square kilometer and few cities with over 50,000 people. However, the human population grew rapidly in the Rocky Mountain states between 1950 and 1990. The forty-year statewide increases in population range from 35% in Montana to about 150% in Utah and Colorado. The populations of several mountain towns and communities have doubled in the forty years 1972–2012. Jackson, Wyoming, increased 260%, from 1,244 to 4,472 residents, in those forty years.[9]
Geology
The rocks in the Rocky Mountains were formed before the mountains were raised by tectonic forces. The oldest rock is Precambrian metamorphic rock that forms the core of the North American continent. There is also Precambrian sedimentary argillite, dating back to 1.7 billion years ago. During the Paleozoic, western North America lay underneath a shallow sea, which deposited many kilometers of limestone and dolomite.[7]: 76
In the southern Rockies, near present-day Colorado, these ancestral rocks were disturbed by mountain building approximately 300
The current Rocky Mountains arose in the Laramide orogeny from between 80 and 55 Ma.[12] For the Canadian Rockies, the mountain building is analogous to pushing a rug on a hardwood floor:[13]: 78 the rug bunches up and forms wrinkles (mountains). In Canada, the terranes and subduction are the foot pushing the rug, the ancestral rocks are the rug, and the Canadian Shield in the middle of the continent is the hardwood floor.[13]: 78
Further south, an unusual subduction may have caused the growth of the Rocky Mountains in the United States, where the
The current southern Rockies were forced upwards through the layers of Pennsylvanian and Permian sedimentary remnants of the Ancestral Rocky Mountains.[15] Such sedimentary remnants were often tilted at steep angles along the flanks of the modern range; they are now visible in many places throughout the Rockies, and are shown along the Dakota Hogback, an early Cretaceous sandstone formation running along the eastern flank of the modern Rockies.
Just after the Laramide orogeny, the Rockies were like Tibet: a high plateau, probably 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) above sea level. In the last sixty million years, erosion stripped away the high rocks, revealing the ancestral rocks beneath, and forming the current landscape of the Rockies.[13]: 80–81
Periods of glaciation occurred from the
All of these geological processes exposed a complex set of rocks at the surface. For example, volcanic rock from the
Ecology and climate
There are a wide range of environmental factors in the Rocky Mountains. The Rockies range in latitude between the Liard River in British Columbia (at 59° N) and the Rio Grande in New Mexico (at 35° N). Prairie occurs at or below 550 metres (1,800 ft), while the highest peak in the range is Mount Elbert at 4,400 metres (14,440 ft). Precipitation ranges from 250 millimetres (10 in) per year in the southern valleys[17] to 1,500 millimetres (60 in) per year locally in the northern peaks.[18] Average January temperatures can range from −7 °C (20 °F) in Prince George, British Columbia, to 6 °C (43 °F) in Trinidad, Colorado.[19] Therefore, there is no single monolithic ecosystem for the entire Rocky Mountain Range.
Instead, ecologists divide the Rockies into a number of
The
The Rocky Mountains are an important habitat for a great deal of well-known wildlife, such as wolves, elk, moose, mule and white-tailed deer, pronghorn, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, badgers, black bears, grizzly bears, coyotes, lynxes, cougars, and wolverines.[9][20] North America's largest herds of elk are in the Alberta–British Columbia foothills forests.
The status of most species in the Rocky Mountains is unknown, due to incomplete information. European-American settlement of the mountains has adversely impacted native species. Examples of some species that have declined include
History
Indigenous people
Since the last great ice age, the Rocky Mountains were home first to
European exploration
Recent human history of the Rocky Mountains is one of more rapid change. The Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado—with a group of soldiers and missionaries marched into the Rocky Mountain region from the south in 1540.[21] In 1610, the Spanish founded the city of Santa Fe, the oldest continuous seat of government in the United States, at the foot of the Rockies in present-day New Mexico. The introduction of the horse, metal tools, rifles, new diseases, and different cultures profoundly changed the Native American cultures. Native American populations were extirpated from most of their historical ranges by disease, warfare, habitat loss (eradication of the bison), and continued assaults on their culture.[9]
In 1739, French fur traders Pierre and Paul Mallet, while journeying through the Great Plains, discovered a range of mountains at the headwaters of the Platte River, which local American Indian tribes called the "Rockies", becoming the first Europeans to report on this uncharted mountain range.[22]
Sir Alexander Mackenzie (1764 – March 11, 1820) became the first European to cross the Rocky Mountains in 1793.[23] He found the upper reaches of the Fraser River and reached the Pacific coast of what is now Canada on July 20 of that year, completing the first recorded transcontinental crossing of North America north of Mexico.[24] He arrived at Bella Coola, British Columbia, where he first reached saltwater at South Bentinck Arm, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806) was the first scientific reconnaissance of the Rocky Mountains.[25] Specimens were collected for contemporary botanists, zoologists, and geologists. The expedition was said to have paved the way to (and through) the Rocky Mountains for European-Americans from the East, although Lewis and Clark met at least 11 European-American mountain men during their travels.[9]
Mountain men, primarily French, Spanish, and British, roamed the Rocky Mountains from 1720 to 1800 seeking mineral deposits and furs. The fur-trading North West Company established Rocky Mountain House as a trading post in what is now the Rocky Mountain Foothills of present-day Alberta in 1799, and their business rivals the Hudson's Bay Company established Acton House nearby.[26] These posts served as bases for most European activity in the Canadian Rockies in the early 19th century. Among the most notable are the expeditions of David Thompson, who followed the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.[27] On his 1811 expedition, he camped at the junction of the Columbia River and the Snake River and erected a pole and notice claiming the area for the United Kingdom and stating the intention of the North West Company to build a fort at the site.[28]
By the
In 1819, Spain ceded their rights north of the 42nd Parallel to the United States, though these rights did not include possession and also included obligations to Britain and Russia concerning their claims in the same region.
Settlement
After 1802,
Negotiations between the United Kingdom and the United States over the next few decades failed to settle upon a compromise boundary and the
Thousands passed through the Rocky Mountains on the
Economy
Industry and development
Economic resources of the Rocky Mountains are varied and abundant. Minerals found in the Rocky Mountains include significant deposits of copper, gold, lead,
Abandoned mines with their wakes of mine tailings and toxic wastes dot the Rocky Mountain landscape. In one major example, eighty years of zinc mining profoundly polluted the river and bank near Eagle River in north-central Colorado. High concentrations of the metal carried by spring runoff harmed algae, moss, and trout populations. An economic analysis of mining effects at this site revealed declining property values, degraded water quality, and the loss of recreational opportunities. The analysis also revealed that cleanup of the river could yield $2.3 million in additional revenue from recreation. In 1983, the former owner of the zinc mine was sued by the Colorado Attorney General for the $4.8 million cleanup costs; five years later, ecological recovery was considerable.[9][37]
The Rocky Mountains contain several
Agriculture and forestry are major industries. Agriculture includes dryland and irrigated farming and livestock grazing. Livestock are frequently moved between high-elevation summer pastures and low-elevation winter pastures, a practice known as transhumance.[9]
Tourism
Every year the scenic areas of the Rocky Mountains draw millions of tourists.[9] The main language of the Rocky Mountains is English. But there are also linguistic pockets of Spanish and indigenous languages.
People from all over the world visit the sites to hike, camp, or engage in mountain sports.[9][39] In the summer season, examples of tourist attractions are:
In the United States:
- Yellowstone National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Sawtooth National Recreation Area
- Flathead Lake
In Canada, the mountain range contains these
- Banff National Park
- Jasper National Park
- Kootenay National Park
- Waterton Lakes National Park
- Yoho National Park
Glacier National Park in Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta border each other and are collectively known as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
In the winter, skiing is the main attraction, with dozens of Rocky Mountain ski areas and resorts.
The adjacent Columbia Mountains in British Columbia contain major resorts such as Panorama and Kicking Horse, as well as Mount Revelstoke National Park and Glacier National Park.
There are numerous
John Denver wrote the song Rocky Mountain High in 1972. The song is one of the two official state songs of Colorado.[40][41]
Hazards
Encountering bears or mountain lions (cougars) is a concern in the Rocky Mountains.[42][43] There are other concerns as well, including bugs, wildfires, adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures.[44]
Importantly, there have been notable incidents in the Rocky Mountains, including
See also
- Arabian Rocky Mountains
- Hazards in the Wind River Range
- List of mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
- Little Rocky Mountains, mountain range in north-central Montana
- Rocky Mountains subalpine zone
- Southern Rocky Mountains
Notes
References
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- ^ "Rocky Mountains, or Rockies". Encyclopædia Britannica Kids.
- ^ "Rocky Mountains | Location, Map, History, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 9780813754147. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-7748-0636-7. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-897472-17-0. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9780969263111.
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- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o This article incorporates public domain material from Stohlgren, TJ. "Rocky Mountains". Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources. United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006.
- ISBN 978-0-87842-105-3.
- ^ a b Blakely, Ron. "Geologic History of Western US". Archived from the original on June 22, 2010.
- ^ (PDF) from the original on June 7, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 9780969263128.
- ^ This article incorporates public domain material from Geologic Provinces of the United States: Rocky Mountains. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 10, 2006.
- ^ Lindsey, D.A. (2010). "The geologic story of Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Range" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Circular 1349. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 2, 2017.
- ^ Pierce, K.L. (1979). History and dynamics of glaciation in the northern Yellowstone National Park area. Washington, DC: U.S. Geological Survey. pp. 1 90. Professional Paper 729-F.
- ^ "Southern Rocky Mountains". Forest Encyclopedia Network. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ "Northern Rocky Mountains". Forest Encyclopedia Network. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ a b Sheridan, Scott. "US & Canada: Rocky Mountains (Chapter 14)" (PDF). Geography of the United States and Canada course notes. Kent State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 1, 2006.
- ^ "Rocky Mountains | mountains, North America". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
- ^ "Events in the West (1528–1536)". PBS. 2001. Archived from the original on April 10, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "The West: Events from 1650 to 1800". PBS. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011.
- ^ "Mackenzie: 1789, 1792–1797". Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "First Crossing of North America National Historic Site of Canada". Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Lewis and Clark Expedition: Scientific Encounters". Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site of Canada". February 28, 2012. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Guide to the David Thompson Papers 1806–1845". 2006. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ Oldham, kit (January 23, 2003). "David Thompson plants the British flag at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers on July 9, 1811". Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Treaties in Force" (PDF). November 1, 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Historical Context and American Policy". Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Oregon Trail Interpretive Center". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "The Mormon Trail". Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "The Transcontinental Railroad". 2012. Archived from the original on April 12, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Yellowstone National Park". April 4, 2012. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Canadian Pacific Railway". Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ "Glaciers and Glacier National Park". 2011. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- ^ Brandt, E. (1993). "How much is a gray wolf worth?". National Wildlife. 31: 412.
- ^ "Coal-Bed Gas Resources of the Rocky Mountain Region". USGS. USGS fact sheet 158-02. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012.
- ^ "Rocky Mountain National Park". National Park Foundation. Archived from the original on October 4, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
- ^ Brown, Jennifer (March 12, 2007). ""Rocky Mountain High" now 2nd state song". The Denver Post. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- ^ "State Songs". Colorado.gov. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- ^ Staff (2023). "Rocky Mountain Hiking Trails - Hiker Safety Tips". RockyMountainHikingTrails.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Staff (April 24, 2017). "Bear Safety in Wyoming's Wind River Country". WindRiver.org. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Ballou, Dawn (July 27, 2005). "Wind River Range condition update - Fires, trails, bears, Continental Divide". PineDaleOnline News. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Staff (1993). "Falling Rock, Loose Rock, Failure to Test Holds, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Seneca Lake". American Alpine Club. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ MacDonald, Dougald (August 14, 2007). "Trundled Rock Kills NOLS Leader". Climbing. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Staff (December 9, 2015). "Officials rule Wind River Range climbing deaths accidental". Casper Star-Tribune. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Dayton, Kelsey (August 24, 2018). "Deadly underestimation". WyoFile News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Funk, Jason (2009). "Squaretop Mountain Rock Climbing". Mountain Project. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Staff (July 22, 2005). "Injured man rescued from Square Top Mtn - Tip-Top Search & Rescue helps 2 injured on the mountain". PineDaleOnline News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Staff (September 1, 2006). "Incident Reports - September, 2006 - Wind River Search". WildernessDoc.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
Further reading
- Baron, Jill (2002). Rocky Mountain futures: an ecological perspective. Island Press. ISBN 1-55963-953-9.
- Newby, Rick (2004). The Rocky Mountain region. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-32817-X.
External links
- Colorado Rockies Forests ecoregion images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu (slow modem version)
- North Central Rockies Forests ecoregion images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu (slow modem version)
- South Central Rockies Forests ecoregion images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu (slow modem version)
- Sunset on the Top of the Rocky Mountains, CO, Historical Society of Pennsylvania Archived November 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine