What is the longest mountain range in North America?
Q: What is the longest mountain range in North America?
A: The Rocky Mountains, which stretch from the northernmost part of British Columbia to New Mexico, are the longest mountain range in North America.
Q: How tall is Mt. Elbert?
A: Mt. Elbert is 14,433 ft (4,401m) tall and is the highest point in the Rocky Mountains.
Q: When were the Rocky Mountains formed?
A: The Rocky Mountains were formed between 55 million and 80 million years ago during a period called Laramide orogeny.
Q: What caused the formation of the Rockies?
A: The formation of the Rockies was caused by tectonic plates sliding under North America as Pangaea broke up and shallow subduction resulting in a broad belt of mountains running down western North America.
Q: What type of rock makes up most of the Rockies?
A: Most of the rocks that make up the Rockies are Precambrian metamorphic rock that forms part of North American's core continent.
Q: How old are some of these rocks?
A: Some rocks found in this area date back to 1.7 billion years ago during what's known as Precambrian sedimentary argillite period.
Q: How did erosion shape these mountains over time?
A: Erosion by glaciers has helped sculpted these mountains into dramatic peaks and valleys over time since their initial formation about 300 million years ago during Pennsylvanian period.
