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Discover how mountains are created when Earth's plates collide, explore the different types and parts of mountains, and learn about fascinating mountain facts like those about Croagh Patrick in Ireland.
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Where do mountains come from? • Mountains are formed when two plates within the earth’s crust crash together. • The land shoves up and forms a mountain. • It is usually called a mountain when it is higher than 600 metres. Less than this is called a hill. • They are made up of rock & earth.
How mountains look • Mountains usually have steep, sloping sides and sharp or slightly rounded ridges and peaks. • Mountains usually have steep, sloping sides and sharp or slightly rounded ridges and peaks.
Parts of a mountain • The summit, or the top of a mountain; • The slope, or side of the mountain • A very deep valley between young mountains is known as a gorge.
Types of mountains • Mountains are formed by slow but gigantic movements of the earth's crust (the outer layer of the Earth). • The Earth's crust is made up of 6 huge slabs called plates, which fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. When two slabs of the earth's crust smash into each other the land can be pushed upwards, forming mountains.
Mountain formation • Mountains form in different ways • Sometimes the crust has folded and buckled, sometimes it breaks into huge blocks. In both cases, great areas of land are lifted upwards to form mountains. • Other mountains are formed by the earth's crust rising into a dome, or by volcanic activity when the crust cracks open.
Some interesting facts • Mountains exist under the sea. • The tallest mountain in space is on Mars. • The highest 14 mountains in the world are found on the Himalayas, in India, Nepal & China. • Some mountains have frozen rivers on them called glaciers.
Croagh Patrick • Croagh Patrick is one of our highest mountains and is named after our patron saint, Saint Patrick. It is a cone shaped mountain. It is in Co .Mayo. • On the last Sunday of July every year, thousands of people climb this mountain. • Some people do it in their bare feet as a pilgrimage.
Climbing Croagh Patrick • It is best to climb this mountain in Spring or Summer. • The first stop on the way up is a statue of St. Patrick. A priest called Fr. Patterson collected money in America to build this statue in 1928. • It usually takes 2 hours to ascend & and an hour & a half to descend.