The main elements of mountain systems. What is the backbone in geography?

What is the ridge? This term is used in three different meanings:

• As a designation of the spine of animals;
• As an element of the mountain system or country;
• In the figurative sense: as the basis or core of something.

In this article, we will focus our attention on what is the backbone in geography. What does he look like? What elements does it consist of? In the article you will also find a list of the largest mountain ranges of the planet.

Elements of the mountain system. What is the ridge?

The mountain system (the country or simply the mountains) is a form of planetary relief, which consists of several structural elements. Among them:

• Mountain ranges;
• Intermontane depressions and valleys;
• Individual vertices;
• Mountain ranges;
• Uplands and foothills.

Let us dwell in more detail on the first element from this list. So, what is the backbone? This is a fairly large, positive, linearly oriented form of the relief, which consists of a chain of individual vertices. Any mountain range has two distinct elements: a crest and slopes, directed in opposite directions. The latter, as a rule, differ considerably in their steepness.

The relative heights of mountain ranges range from a few hundred meters to several kilometers. In length, they can reach several tens and even hundreds of kilometers. In form, the ridges are rectilinear or curved (the second type occurs more often in nature).

Interaction of ridges. The largest mountain ranges of the world

We found out what the ridge is. Now let's find out how the mountain ranges interact with each other , and what forms of relief are formed.

If two ridges are located side by side and parallel to each other, then a lowland is formed between them, called a decay in geomorphology. Very often, a bed of a small watercourse is formed on its bottom, since water disintegrates from both slopes.

The intersection of two or more ridges is called a mountain knot. But the system of several linearly extended ridges is called a mountain chain.

Below is a list of the ten largest mountain ranges of the planet (in parentheses their location and total length are indicated):

• Vernadsky (Antarctica, 2400 km).
• Coastal (Canada, 1600 km).
• Verkhoyansk (Russia, 1200 km).
• Sikhote-Alin (Russia, 1200 km).
• The Main Caucasus (Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, 1100 km).
• Aleutian (the USA, 1000 km).
• Mugodzhary (Kazakhstan, 650 km).
• Abakansky (Russia, 300 km).
• Zailiysky Alatau (Kazakhstan, 280 km).
• Agrydag (Turkey, 200 km).

Most often, the ridges are part of larger mountain systems. But sometimes they can have the appearance of independent geomorphological structures.