The Himalayas

1
The Himalayas

• The Himalayas are the tallest mountains in the
  world.
• They are located on the border of China and
  India.

2
What do you think?

• How were the Himalayas formed?
• Why are the Himalayas the tallest mountains in
  the world?

3
In this activity you will

• Learn of the different ways that mountains form.
  
• Learn why the Himalayas are so tall.

4
Plate Tectonics
Eurasian Plate
Plates
Indian Plate

• The earths crust is split into several plates.
• These plates float on top of magma (a hot, thick,
  gel-like substance).
• When currents inside the earth move the magma,
  the plates move too.
• This movement sometimes causes mountains to form.
  

5
Just Checking

• The earths crust is split into __________.
• The hot, thick, gel-like substance found within
  the earth is called ___________.

6
There are 4 types of mountains

• Volcanic Mountains
• Erosional Mountains
• Fault-block Mountains
• Folded Mountains

7
Volcanic Mountains

• Volcanoes form when magma within the earth pushes
  its way up through the crust.
• While pushing through the crust, the pressure
  causes the surrounding crust to rise, forming a
  mountain.
• Magma is deposited on the surface, sometimes
  creating a cone shaped mountain.

8
Erosional Mountains

• Erosional mountains form when wind or water wear
  down some materials on the earths surface,
  leaving other materials behind.
• Some materials erode faster than others. In the
  picture above, some of the rock material eroded
  much faster than the other material. The brown
  rock material left behind forms a mountain.

9
Fault-block Mountains
Fault

• Fault-block mountains form when rock layers break
  and form a fault line.
• As the two blocks are being pushed together, the
  pressure forces one block up and the other block
  down.
• The block that is forced upward forms a mountain.
  

10
Folded Mountains

• Folded mountains form as two plates move toward
  each other.
• The plates push against each other causing the
  crust to fold or ripple
• This is like when you push 2 ends of a piece of
  paper together and the middle bends or folds.

11
Just Checking

• Mountains that form when magma within the earth
  pushes its way up through the crust. __________
• Mountains that form when wind or water wear down
  some materials on the earths surface, leaving
  other materials behind. ____________
• Mountains that form when a plate cracks and forms
  a fault line. ______________
• Mountains that form when plates push up against
  each other causing the crust to fold or ripple.
  ______________

12
Himalayas

• The Himalayas formed as a result of the Indian
  Plate and the Eurasian Plate moving toward one
  another.
• When two plates run into each other, they will do
  one of the following
• If one plate is denser (heavier) than the other,
  it will sink below the other plate
• If both plates have the same density, they will
  continue to push against one another resulting in
  folded mountains.
• 
  
• 
  Same
• Density

Denser plate
13
The Himalayas

• Both of these plates are the same density.
• As the plates keep pushing against each other,
  there is no place for the crust to go except bend
  upwards.
• The plates are still running into each other and
  the Himalayas are growing by more than 1 cm each
  year.

Himalayas
Indian Plate
Eurasian Plate
14
Just Checking

• The Himalayas are ___________ mountains.
• The Himalayas are the result of what two plates
  running into each other?
• ________________ and _______________
• Neither of these two plates is sinking because
  they are both the same ___________.
• The Himalayas are still growing at a rate of
  ___________ each year.