Geography
Rocky Mountains (24 photos)
On the whole, the mountains of the Rocky Mountains range from northern Alberta and British Columbia to the south, passing through New Mexico, in the southwestern United States, with a total length of about 4,800 kilometers. In some places, the mountains are hundreds of miles wide. Most of the boundaries are not easy to determine, especially in the remote northwest, where the Brooks Mountains of Alaska are often included in the Rocky Mountains.Terrain
Many mountains towering into the clouds, covered with snow, are extremely spectacular. Most of the mountains have an average elevation of 2000-3000 meters, and some even exceed 4000 meters, such as Mount Elbert up to 4399 meters, Mount Garnett up to 4202 meters, and Mount Blanca up to 4365 meters. Within the Canadian territory of this large mountain range, four national parks including Jasper, Banff, Kootnay and Yoho, as well as Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Ham The three provincial parks of Burma, with a total area of about 23122km², form the "Canadian Rocky Mountain Park Group".
Geological structure
The Rocky Mountains are generally defined as the Riad River in Canada to the Rio Grande River in New Mexico. Part of it no longer belongs to the Rocky Mountains. The younger part of the Rocky Mountains was uplifted during the Cretaceous Period (approximately 140 million to 65 million years ago), and the southern part may have been uplifted during the Precambrian Period (approximately 3.98 billion to 600 million years ago) . The geological structure of the Rocky Mountains is mainly composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks, and there are also young sedimentary rocks on the southern edge. In some areas, there are volcanic rocks that erupted in the Tertiary Period (approximately 65 to 1.8 million years ago). There were multiple ice ages from the Pleistocene to the Holocene (18 million-11,000 years ago). At that time, 90% of Yellowstone Park was covered by glaciers. From 1550 to 1860, it was still in the "Little Ice Age." move forward. The Rocky Mountain was originally a huge geotrough area, but at the beginning of the Cretaceous, it was only a shallow sea. During the Tertiary period, large-scale orogeny and volcanic eruption occurred. Granite mountain system; in the Quaternary, the action of glaciers left steep horns, icicles, troughs and other glacial erosion features, coupled with long-term crustal changes, gradually formed the status quo of rocky mountains. The mountain range was mainly formed during the Laramie orogenic movement from the end of the Cretaceous to the beginning of the Tertiary, from the end of the Cretaceous (about 145.5 million years ago to about 65.5 million years ago) to the Paleogene (65.5 million years ago to 2300 Thousands of years ago). From the early Cambrian era (before 542 million years ago) to the Cretaceous, the strata were subjected to east-west pressure, forming folds (the strata were wavy and curved) and faults (the strata were disconnected and separated) and then uplifted. After uplifting and vigorous erosion, the structure and terrain are more complicated. The North Rocky Mountains to the north of Yellowstone National Park, with precambrian and Paleozoic granites exposed in the west, dominated by tall massive mountains; in the east, striped mountains are more common on the basis of long series of folds and thrust structures. Take the fault valley. From Yellowstone Park to the Wyoming Basin are the Mid Rocky Mountains with a large width. The west is characterized by striped mountains and fault valleys alternately; the east is mostly a single anticline uplift, with steep plateau-like mountains on the edge, short mountains, different directions, separated by wide syncline basins. South of the Wyoming Basin is the Southern Rocky Mountains. It is the most majestic part of the entire Rocky Mountains. It consists of two parallel east-west anticline mountains. Precambrian crystalline rocks are exposed. The height is very large. There are peaks above 4200 meters above sea level. 48, Mount Elbert is located here. There is a formation called "Burgess Shale" in this area. In the mid-Cambrian period (513 million years ago to 510 million years ago), one after another, fossils named "Odd Shrimp" and "Weird Worm" were discovered. Compared with other creatures, their shapes are incredible. In 1980, the Yoho National Park, where the Burgess Shale was discovered, was first listed as a World Natural Heritage. Later, in 1984, the area selected as a natural heritage was expanded and became the Canadian Rocky Mountain Park Group.
Origin of the name
The Rocky Mountains are located in western North America.
The British colonists first came to Canada’s Assiniboine area and learned that the local Indian tribe was named "Stones", and the mountains in the area were as bare as rocks without vegetation, so they moved the mountain. It was called "Stone Mountain", which was translated as "rocky" in English. Later, the name was extended to the entire mountain range from north to south.
The Chinese word "洛基" is transliterated from the English "rocky".
Climate
Diversity
Rocky Mountains (3 photos)
The Rocky Mountains extend far from north to south, The climate is diverse, with the tropical northern edge of North America at the southern end and the Arctic climate at the northern end. However, in the south due to the continental nature of the mountains and the high altitude, the influence of latitude changes tends to weaken. There are two vertical climatic zones running through most of the mountains. The lower climate zone is a cold temperate zone, with cold winters and cool summers. In the south, the altitude is 2134-3048 meters, which belongs to this climatic zone. The higher the latitude, the lower the upper and lower limits. The higher climate zone has an alpine climate, which is a tundra type. The winter is severely cold, and the summer is short and cold; in the south, the highest mountain peaks with snow can last until August, and in the north, many high-altitude valleys still have permanent glaciers.Precipitation
Natural scenery of the Rocky Mountains (4 photos)
Precipitation is generally more in the north than in the south, and the north is about three times that of the south. The climate in the south is mostly dry. For example, the San Luis Valley in Colorado has a mountain wasteland climate and is one of the driest areas in the Rocky Mountains. Most of the annual rainfall is winter snowfall in the south, although there are often localized and sometimes violent thunderstorms in the summer afternoon. In the northern part of the Rocky Mountains, due to the Pacific cyclone and storm, precipitation is relatively uniform throughout the year. Almost all parts of the Rocky Mountains have a short growing season, with frost in some places even in July. The average annual rainfall is 360 mm.Climatic boundary
The Rocky Mountains are an important climate boundary of the North American continent. It acts as a barrier to the eastward invasion of the polar Pacific air mass and the westward movement of the polar Canadian air mass or the tropical Gulf of Mexico air mass, resulting in a huge difference in precipitation between the east and west of the continent and has a certain impact on the temperature distribution. The west is dominated by winter rain. Except for the coastal and windward slopes north of the north latitude of 40°, the annual precipitation is below 500 mm, and the winter temperature is higher than that in the eastern part of the same latitude; the east is dominated by summer rain, except The northern high latitudes and parts of the Great Plains close to the mountains have less precipitation, with annual precipitation above 500 mm.
Temperature
The Rocky Mountains have a plateau climate. The annual average temperature is 6℃. The highest temperature in July is 28℃. The average temperature in January is -14℃. The average annual rainfall The amount is 360 mm. The Rocky Mountains are warm and dry in summer and cold and humid in winter.
River water source
The most important watershed of the North American continent, except for the St. Lawrence River, almost all major rivers in North America originate here. The rivers west of the mountains belong to the Pacific water system, and the rivers east of the mountains belong to the Arctic Ocean water system and the Atlantic Ocean water system. Melting snow in the Rocky Mountains replenishes the water sources of rivers and lakes. These rivers include: Arkansas River, Athabasca River, Colorado River, Columbia River, Fraser River, Kurt Kootenay River, Missouri River, Missouri River, Peace River, Platte River, Rio Grande, Saskatchewan River, Snake River, Yellowstone River< /p>
Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains Region Irrigation water, industrial water and domestic water are generally in short supply. The further south, the drier the climate, and the more critical the water supply problem. Two states, New Mexico and Arizona, are the worst. The U.S. Land Development and Utilization Agency is the most important federal agency involved in the construction of reservoirs in various parts of the western United States. The Rocky Mountain region occupies a large part of its construction design. There are almost no dam sites left unused, so in the short term (by the middle of the 21st century) the annual precipitation in the Rocky Mountains will be completely stored and used. By then it may be necessary to import water from the Columbia River and Western Canada.
Resources
Plant Resources
Rocky Mountain Plants (18 photos)
The rich flora and fauna in this area are also Prestigious. Forests such as pine trees and poplar trees extend to about 1,800 meters above sea level. At higher altitudes, you can see alpine and sub-alpine flowers and shrubs. Wetland plants grow on the bottom of the valley and around the lakes and marshes. Mountain vegetation has the characteristics of vertical differentiation, and the vertical band map is restricted by height, latitude and aspect. For example, the upper boundary of the forest belt gradually decreases from south to north; the lower boundary is the wet western slope lower than the dry eastern slope. Ponderosa pine, Douglas yellow fir, tent pine, larch, spruce and other coniferous species are widely distributed. The plant communities in the Rocky Mountain region vary greatly due to altitude, latitude, and sunshine. On the eastern slopes of Colorado and New Mexico, strong winter winds come from the arid plains, stunting or deforming scattered cedar and dwarf pine. There are usually no trees at the lower elevations of the terminal of this mountain system, only cottonwood and other deciduous trees along the river. Artemisia shrubs are found in river valleys and basins, as far north as southern Alberta. Mountain forests in medium-elevation areas include aspen, yellow pine and yellow fir. The subalpine forest is composed of western hemlock, black pine, western red cedar, white spruce and Engelman's spruce. As the latitude increases, the height of the tree line decreases. Above the tree line, hardy grasses, moss, lichens and low flowering plants in the alpine tundra are almost everywhere in the mountains. In the northernmost mountainous area, the so-called "elf forest" is mainly composed of dwarf willow trees. There are countless wild flowers in the forest and high grassland, including columbine, imperial tangerine, delphinium, gentian and flame grass.Animal Resources
There are many types of animals. Representative large mammals among the undulating ridges are black bears, grizzly bears, brown bears, mountain lions, and wolf sharks.
Brown bears (2 photos)
Bighorn sheep and mountain goats live on high cliffs in summer, and move to lower slopes in winter. Deer animals such as caribou, mule deer and Virginia deer also migrate vertically between alpine meadows and subalpine forests with the seasons. The solitary moose are often found in northern lakes, streams and marshes, and live on willow leaves and aquatic plants. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has the largest herd of American bison. Coyotes roam in lower valleys and along road and rail routes. Although wolves that have been nearly extinct due to human hunting are still rare, they have been valued since 1970 because their status in the wild ecological environment is known to. Small mammals at lower altitudes include tiny chipmunks, red squirrels, Colombian ground squirrels and marmots. Pikas live in rock and slippery piles, and prairie dogs are active in drier valleys and plateaus. Wild animals in the arid southern mountains include pronghorn, jack rabbits, scorpions, rattlesnakes and other desert animals. Birds are also quite diverse. In summer, there are birds of prey such as bald eagles, golden eagles, hawks and peregrine falcons everywhere in the mountains. Birds in woodland and grassland include fringed grouse, spruce grouse, blue grouse, ptarmigan, Clark's star crow, grey jay, and Steller's jay. Waterfowl such as water ducks, sand cones, and dangerous trumpet swans spend the warm season on the mountain lakes. The numerous hot springs in the Rocky Mountains provide wintering grounds for many birds so that they do not have to fly south to migrate. Rainbow trout, introduced in large quantities from California, may be the most famous fish in this area. Arctic graylings are permanent residents of the northern mountain lakes. 56 species of mammals have been confirmed in the park. Rocky mountain goats and bighorn sheep are found in the highlands, grate deer and grizzly bears live in the forest, and beavers live by the water. In addition, there are about 280 species of birds such as mountain eagles.
Mineral resources
The mineral resources are rich. It is a well-known metal mining area in North America, zinc in Sullivan in Canada, and copper, silver, zinc and zinc in Butte and Bingham in the United States. Lead, Coeur d'Alene's lead, silver, zinc, and Colemax's molybdenum are all famous. The logging industry is mainly distributed in the wetter mountains of Montana and northern Idaho. Animal husbandry (cattle and sheep) is mainly distributed in the Southern Rocky Mountains. The mountains are used as summer pastures, and the basin is a winter pasture. Plowing operations are limited to valleys with good soil quality and irrigated conditions or areas suitable for dry farming. The Rocky Mountains are widely distributed with magmatic intrusions, highly metamorphic belts and sedimentary basins, and are the main distribution areas of North American mineral resources, especially non-ferrous metals. There are three well-known metal mining areas in the Rocky Mountains of the United States: Coeur d'Alene in Idaho is dominated by lead, with zinc and silver coexisting; Butte and Bingham are dominated by copper, and silver, lead, and zinc are coexisting. Non-metallic minerals are mainly produced in the Wyoming Basin, mainly oil, natural gas, coal, salt, etc.
Tourism resources
The mountainous scenery is peculiar and beautiful. With the development of transportation, the tourism industry is growing rapidly. There are Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier and other national parks, as well as tourist attractions such as Moon Crater, Dinosaurs, Great Sand Dunes, Gunnison River and Black Canyon. Mountain towns are relatively small, and most of them were built with the development of the mining industry, or serve as transportation and sightseeing centers. Since the 19th century, each pass of the mountain has been served by cars and trains, and there are now 9 railways passing through it. The development of transportation has accelerated the development of mountain tourism resources. Dense forests, numerous wild animals, cool climate, modern glaciers, hot springs and other peculiar scenery make it an important tourist area in North America, attracting tens of thousands of tourists every year. There are many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. There are small-scale mining cities and tourist cities in the mountainous areas.
Humanities and History
Indians
It is known that humans came to the Rocky Mountains from 10,000 BC to 8,000 BC. In the 16th century, Europeans entered the southwest. By the beginning of the 19th century, due to exploration and economic development, they had contact with almost all the aboriginal ethnic groups in the mountainous areas, and they often clashed. These conflicts, unstable food supplies and territorial wars between tribes have caused large-scale migration and friction among some groups.
Since the last ice age, humans have been in the Rocky Mountains, mainly a tribe of American Indians, including Shoshone, Su, Utah, Apache, Blackfoot, Flathead, etc. , They hunted mammoths (mammoths) and primitive American bisons (more than laterThe American bison is 20% larger). They may migrate to the plains in autumn and winter like later Indians, and enter the mountains to fish, hunt deer and collect berries and roots in the spring and summer. At the top of the watershed, there are Indians built 5400-5800 years ago to drive prey into the stone wall. The latest scientific research believes that the lifestyle of the local Indians is very effective in maintaining the population of mammals.
Spaniards
In 1540, Spanish colonists began to enter the Rocky Mountains. Soldiers, missionaries, and black slaves brought horses, metal tools, guns, and new models. Diseases and different cultures, wars, diseases, and loss of homes (soil erosion) caused the indigenous population to shrink rapidly.
The expedition of Louis and Clark in 1804-1806 was the first scientific expedition to the Rocky Mountains. However, during their expedition, they encountered at least 11 white people from Europe, the first being French and The Spanish, from 1720-1800, they went to the Rocky Mountains in search of mineral deposits and fur. After 1802, American fur traders poured into the Rocky Mountains in large numbers. In 1832, a convoy from the east crossed the Rocky Mountains from the Wyoming Pass for the first time.
The Mormons settled in the Great Salt Lake in 1847; the gold mine was discovered in Colorado in 1859; the railroad across the United States was built in 1869; the Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872; the mining and forest industries developed rapidly. A number of forest reserves were established in 1891-1892, and in 1905 the reserves were expanded to the Rocky Mountain National Park area. Tourism has also begun to develop. Campsites have been turned into farms, stations have been developed into towns, and some towns have developed into large cities.
Tourist Attractions
The Rocky Mountains attract millions of tourists from all over the world each year. The main tourist attractions in summer are: Pikes Peak, Royal Gorge, Rocky Mountain National Park (Rocky Mountain National Park). National Park), Yellowstone National Park (Yellowstone National Park), Grand Teton National Park (Grand Teton National Park), Glacier National Park (Glacier National Park)
The Rockies in Canada include: Banff National Park (Banff National Park), Glacier National Park (Glacier National Park), Jasper National Park, Kootenay National Park, Mount Revelstoke National Park, Waterton Lakes National Park, Yoho National Park.
Banff
(Banff)
The town of Banff is located in the Bow River valley at an altitude of 1,400 meters. The river flows from the south of the town. Banff, with 8,500 residents, is a joyful town with a strong commercial atmosphere. Banff Avenue, the most prosperous street in the town, is crowded throughout the year, with restaurants, restaurants and shops on both sides of the street. The colorful display windows tease the wallets of tourists, and most of them sell souvenirs. There is a "Silver Dragon" Chinese restaurant on the street. The owner is from Hong Kong and the taste is quite authentic.
Banff National Park (Banff National Park)
The Banff National Park, which covers an area of 6641km², was established in 1964 and is Canada’s first country The park is also the third national park in the world, second only to Yellowstone Park in the United States and the Royal Park in Australia (Australia).
Because of the discovery of hot springs, Banff's prosperity today has been created. In 1883, three workers for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway saw steam and smoke in the valley near Banff and discovered hot springs. At that time, hot springs were a very valuable resource for exploring the west, so this place slowly developed into the world. The well-known leisure resort area attracts 3 million tourists from all over the world every year.
Columbia Icefield
(Columbia Icefield)
The spectacular Columbia Icefield, with an average altitude of 3000 meters, an area of 325km², and a depth At 900 meters, it is the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains. The Columbia Ice Field is the source of 8 glaciers, of which Athabasca Glacier is the most famous. For the formation of the ice sheet, the annual snow accumulation must be greater than the melting snow, and the annual snowfall of the Columbia Ice Sheet is as high as 10 meters. The surface of the ice on the upper layer of the glacier is still white because of the air and impurities, while the bottom layer is squeezed out by the air and impurities, showing a moving light blue.
The Atabasca Glacier is 6 kilometers long and 1 kilometers wide. The end of the glacier is only 1.5 kilometers away from the Icefield Boulevard. Visitors can take a ride provided by Brewster (the oldest and largest tourist company in Canada) The large-scale snowcoach (Snowcoach) climbs along the glacier to watch the breathtaking spectacle. After arriving at the source, you can get off the car to touch the ice and snow crystals hundreds of years ago, and take pictures as a souvenir. This snowmobile ride is open from May to October each year, and it is closed during the rest of the year.
Jasper
(Jasper)
The town of Jasper is located in the valley on the west bank of the Atabasca River at an altitude of 1054 Meters, which emerged from the trade with Indians during the Western pioneering era. The population is about 4,500. The main shops in the town are located on Connaught Drive and Patricia. It is a very quiet and lovely small town, suitable for taking a bicycle or taking a walk. Experience its beauty.
Jasper National Park (Jasper National Park )
Jasper National Park, known as the "jewel on the Rockies", is Canada The seventh national park was born in the early 20th century due to the construction of the second Canadian East-West Railway. The name was given to commemorate Jasper Hawse, who was in charge of overseeing the fur trading station in the Athabasca Valley at that time. With an area of 10878km², Jasper National Park is the largest of the 4 National Parks in the Rocky Mountains. There are many mountain trails located in wildlife colonies, so you can often see moose, grizzly bears, goats, bighorn sheep, Wild animals such as caribou, red deer and wild wolf.
Jasper National Park was listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1984. About 1.3 million tourists visit Jasper National Park each year. Activities such as canoeing, hiking, swimming, golf, fishing and horseback riding.
Lake Louise Ski Resort
Lake Louise Ski Resort is Canada’s largest ski resort and one of the favorites of skiers all over the world Many young Japanese people come here to ski and play snowboard. The ski resort has very good powder snow, with a total area of 4200 acres, a peak height of 2672 meters, a descent distance of 1000 meters, a total of 11 cable cars, 105 ski trails, and the longest ski trail is 8 kilometers long. Of all the ski trails, 25% are suitable for beginners, 45% are suitable for intermediates, and 30% are suitable for experts. The ski resort is only a 5-minute drive from the Lake Louise Castle Hotel, and there is a small bus shuttle.
Kootenay National Park
Kootenay National Park is east of Banff, Alberta The national park, bordered by Yoho National Park to the north, has a much milder climate than other Rocky Mountain National Parks. The dry and hot summer is suitable for the growth of tropical plants. Therefore, among the national parks in British Columbia, Kootenay It is famous for its glacial landscapes in the frigid zone and tropical plants. It is not only rich in flora and fauna, but also integrated with the natural landscape of canyons, glaciers, and mountains, and has unparalleled charm.
Sulphur Mountain
(Sulphur Mountain)
If you want to see the entire town of Banff, the best way is to go south Crossing the Bo River to the 2,281-meter-high Sulfur Mountain, of course, it is not a walk, but a 1,560-meter cable car. This cable car line, which has been in use for nearly 40 years, was updated in November 1997. It was built and constructed by the Swiss cable car company and reopened on March 6, 1998. The brand new cable car is more stable to sit.
Roger Gap Road
(Rogers Pass)
During the early development of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Luo Rogers Pass has become an exciting mountain climbing experience for wealthy travelers, and is the most anticipated and desired destination for travel.
A super luxury hotel is built at the top of the channel. The hotel specially hires experienced mountain guides from Switzerland. In that era when there was no high-tech clothing, women had to wear Victorian dresses to explore the glacier hanging on the canyon road. You can imagine the difficult expressions on the faces of these brave pioneers at that time.
Maligne Lake
(Maligne Lake)
Located 48 kilometers southeast of Jasper Town, the lake is 22 long Kilometers, with an average width of 1 kilometer, and a deepest point of 96 meters. The lake water comes from the surrounding glaciers. It is the largest natural lake in the Rocky Mountains. The lake reflects the surrounding snow-capped mountains, and the scenery is beautiful. There is a Spirit Island in the lake, dotted with verdant and straight coniferous forests. The shape is very beautiful, and it is often used in landscape postcards. The symbol of Jasper National Park. Rainbow trout and Dongxi trout are produced in the lake. There are many hiking trails along the lake, and there are also various activities for tourists to have fun. Along the way, you can admire magnificent mountains, wild animals, and flowers all over the mountains. There is Lake Maligne Holiday Lodge nearby, and there is a cafeteria for dining. Every morning and afternoon, there are horse riding trips that depart from the holiday cottage.
Dream World
(Dream Catcher)
Kananaskis, about an hour’s drive from Banff , Is a natural paradise full of wild and picturesque scenery. "Dream Catcher" in Kananaski, operated by Canada’s largest Brewster travel company, where visitors can learn about the history and culture of the Indians in western Canada, and see wild animals and their Activity trails.
The border ranch that receives tourists has a beautiful wooden house. The restaurant inside not only serves delicious beef and chicken lunches, but sometimes also prepares instant noodles for tourists from Taiwan. In addition, there are sales of exquisite handicrafts and souvenirs, as well as cowboys performing electric horseback riding to catch calves, and teaching tourists to dance traditional western country dances.
Miette Hot Springs
(Miette Hot Springs)
The hot spring with the highest temperature (54℃) in the Rocky Mountains, 60 kilometers away from Jasper Town, near the east gate of Jasper National Park, there is a Miyette Hot Spring Road. Follow this road to reach Miyette Hot Spring. The temperature of the spring water flowing into the pool was artificially reduced from the original 54°C to 39°C, which is suitable for bathing. There are 2 hot springs and 1 cold water pool. There are many hiking trails near the hot springs, and there are restaurants and accommodations below them. Open every year from May 15th to October 12th.
National Parks
In the 22990km² reserve, Banff, Carlsberg, Yoho and Kootenay account for most of the four national parks. They are connected to three parks in British Columbia, Mount Robertson, Mount Assiniboine and Humber. Banff is a national park benefiting from the construction of a transcontinental railway in Canada in the 1880s. It was opened in 1887 and became Canada's first protected area park, and thus established the Canadian national park system. It is a famous summer resort with ice peaks, glaciers, ice fields, lakes, alpine grasslands and hot springs in the park. The water is beautiful and the peak is strange, ranking first in the North American continent. Carlsberg National Park is the largest park in North America, with mountains, forests, glaciers, and lakes in the park.
Yohe Park
The Mailin Lake and Mailin Canyon surrounded by mountains are rare resorts in the park. Yoho Park is located in the west of Banff Park. It is a park that cleverly uses natural landscapes such as Daxi Valley, glaciers, lakes, etc. The emerald lake in the park reflects the reflection of Bagges Mountain, and Takakao Falls is The 410-meter drop made a loud noise. There are more than 150 mid-Cambrian marine fossils in the Burgesscher Rock in the park, some of which are not known today.
Ski resorts
The Rocky Mountains are a mecca for skiing in winter. The main ski resorts on the Canadian side are:
Alberta: Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, BC , Fernie.
Landforms
East
The major mountains in the east are huge uplifts, many of which have tall peaks and charming scenery. The Front Ridge of Colorado and the Central Arizona Uplift are the two largest uplifts. Most of the remaining area is a basically flat area 100 kilometers long and 24 kilometers wide. Qianling and Shawachi Ridge have peaks above 4,300 meters above sea level. Among them, Mount Elbert in Shawachi Ridge is 4399 meters high, which is the highest point of the Rocky Mountains. Wind River Ridge and Teton Ridge in Wyoming have peaks of more than 3962 meters, as are the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Some high mountain areas have not been touched by humans so far, and have been designated as national wildlife reserves. There are state-owned forests all over the territory.
The eastern basins are very wide, generally 1219-2134 meters above sea level. During the uplift of the mountain range and for a period of time thereafter, the basin accommodates the detritus of the uplifted mountain range. Later, the steady flow of water was established as the Missouri River andIn the Colorado River, the basin deposits were etched by running water, and some places were deeply eroded.
The Rocky Mountains in Canada and northwestern Montana, including Glacier National Park Mountains and Louis Ridge in northwestern Montana, are part of the western part of the Rocky Mountains. This part is characterized by a series of parallel mountains, mostly caused by the accumulation of thick sedimentary rock layers. There are similar linear mountains in western Wyoming and southeastern Idaho, but from the southwestern corner of Wyoming to the southwestern corner of Utah and southern Nevada, the western mountains were covered by faults in the Great Basin Plate. How far westward the true Rocky Mountains in western Utah and Nevada stretched is still debated. Therefore, in general terms, the eastern part of the Rocky Mountains is characterized by blister uplifts and large intermountain basins, and the western part is characterized by overburden faults and folds.
The mountainous landforms are widely eroded by ice, and there are modern glaciers in high mountains, especially the Rocky Mountains in the north. The tall and long mountains are barriers to the movement of air masses in the east and west of the North American continent, causing huge differences in precipitation between the east and the west and affecting the distribution of temperature, forming an important climatic boundary in North America. To the west of the Rocky Mountains, with the exception of the Pacific coast and windward slopes north of latitude 40°, the annual precipitation is below 500 mm, dominated by winter rain, and winter temperatures are higher than the eastern part of the mainland at the same latitude. In the area east of the Rocky Mountains, the annual precipitation in most areas is above 500 mm, and the summer rain rate is high. The rivers to the east of the mountains belong to the Atlantic water system and the Arctic Ocean water system, and the rivers to the west belong to the Pacific water system. The vegetation in the mountain area mainly includes coniferous species such as ponderosa pine, Douglas pine, and spruce. Different vertical band spectra developed in different latitudes, heights, and slope directions. The North Rocky Mountains are the main logging area, accounting for 2/3 of the mountain forests.
The huge rocky mountains are distributed in a wide range, with a north-north-west-south-south direction. The north-south parts are quite different and can be roughly divided into three parts.
Southern
The South Tribal Base Mountain includes the mountains south of the Wyoming Basin or south of the east bank of the upper reaches of the North Platte River. Most of the mountains in this part are north-south and arranged in parallel, and many peaks are tall and steep, full of lush greenery, mountain creeks can be seen everywhere, clear water, swaying mountain flowers, and hundreds of birds vying, which are very charming and beautiful.
The mountains here are mostly precambrian crystalline rocks, with an altitude of more than 4000 meters, of which Mount Elbert is the highest and the highest point in the Rocky Mountains. The towering peaks rise and fall one after another, forming a sea of peaks in the clouds and mist. The peaks are often covered with snow all year round due to bad weather, forming peculiar ice buckets and icicles, which are very spectacular.
The southern Rocky Mountains are rich in mineral deposits. The earliest gold deposits were discovered. Later, copper and silver deposits were also discovered here, but after several years of mining, most of the ore bodies have been exhausted.
North
The base mountains of the North Tribe include the mountains from the north of Yellowstone Park to Canada. Glacier activities in this part of the mountain were very active in the past, and due to the action of glaciers, special landforms were formed. The mountains are mainly composed of sedimentary rocks, with solemn peaks and "U"-shaped mountains replacing the soft plateaus. The complex stratigraphic structure and strong volcanism of the northern mountainous areas have nurtured rich non-ferrous metal deposits. For example, the second largest copper mine in the United States was established here, with an annual output of more than 2 million tons of copper ore, and the output of silver, lead, zinc and other minerals. It accounts for half of the United States and is quite powerful.
Central
The central tribe is based on mountains, dominated by plateaus, with some mountains in the middle. The geological structure is complex and the influence of volcanoes is great, which has produced many hot springs and geysers. The "Honesty Spring" in Yellowstone Park is the world-famous geyser.
There is also a huge Wyoming Basin in the central mountains. It is surrounded by high mountains and has a dry climate. The annual rainfall is more than 350 mm. There is almost no grass growing. It is a semi-desert landscape zone. The Rocky Mountains are majestic and unique. The US government has built three national parks here, namely Yellowstone Park, Glacier Park and Grand Taiton Park, attracting a large number of tourists for sightseeing, travel and vacation.
Other
In addition, to the west is a large basin, mainly in Nevada, western Utah and Arizona. After many faults, the crust is broken, and the blocks between the faults are uplifted, subsided, and skewed. From a geological point of view, this deformation is quite an event, resulting in a completely different topography and water system from the more typical Rocky Mountains in the east. Therefore, it must be recognized that the Rocky Mountains have two main parts: one part is the mountain that retains the original structure and shape; the other part, the original structure and shape have been destroyed, and most of them are completely changed by block faults. In fact, the original structure of the west is a controversial issue.