Block Mountains

Fractures in the Earth's surface, a procedure referred to as taphrogeny, result in formation of fault-block mountains.

If there are two similar faults, the crustal block between them may either rise to produce horst-block Mountain or fall to make a rift valley.

A fallen block is recognized as a graben. The term block mountain may be practical to skewed fault-block and complex faulted uplands.

Block Mountains be in countries like Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, anywhere they appearance basin-and-range landscapes.

Uplifted blocks may have younger casing formations stripped off them, leaving relict landforms as in the Harz and Black Forest terrains of Germany and in the Massif Central of France.

Fold Mountains

Fold mountains are really formed by outside which have been uplifted and folded by compressional forces. This occurs along convergent plate limitations where 2 plates shift towards each other, between continental plates or between a sea and a continental plate. The crust and the rocks get bent and wrinkled, and massive layers of Earth's crust gets uplifted as a result, forming stunning fold mountains.

More well-know examples of Fold Mountains are the Himalayas in Asia and the Andes in South America.

Dome Mountains

Dome Mountains are the result of a great quantity of melted rock approaching its way up under the earth without failure or faulting resulting in a rounded dome. As the dome is raised above its surroundings erosion occurs, and as an effect of erosion, peaks and valleys are formed.

Geological features comprise anything from major landforms such as mountains or plateaus, to ripple script or glacial striations on a rock. The physical processes, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, erosion, and deposition are what make or change geological features.

Mountains are main geological features on the outside of the Earth. Depending on what physical processes created these landforms, mountains can be confidential as different types: volcanic, dome, fold, and fault block. Utah has all four types.

Dome Mountains can be fashioned from hot molten material (magma) increasing from the Earth's mantle into the coating that pushes overlying sedimentary rock layers up to form a "dome" shape. Unlike a volcano, the magma classically does not reach the Earth's surface. Instead, the magma cools under the surface and forms the core of the mountains. Dome Mountains in Utah include Navajo Mountain and the La Sal, Abajo, and Henry Mountains in the southeastern division of the state.

Spring Mountain Ranch

Park Origin and History:

At the base of the magnificent Wilson Cliffs lies Spring Mountain Ranch. This 520-acre oasis was developed into a combination working ranch and luxurious retreat by a string of owners who have given the area a long and colorful history.

Early Ranch History

In the mid-1830's, a campsite was established along the wash that runs through the ranch. The spring-fed creek and grassy meadows formed a welcome oasis for travelers using this alternate route of the Spanish Trail through Cottonwood Valley. The use of the site by pack and wagon trains continued until their replacement by the railroad in 1905. This remote trail was also used extensively by outlaws involved in Indian slave trading, horse stealing and raids upon passing caravans. In 1840, a group of American mountain men and Ute Indians conducted a famous raid on the Mexican Ranchos in California. Mountain Man Bill Williams, a member of the raiding party, brought his band of horses through Red Rock Canyon where he rested the horses from the hard trip across the desert. Apparently he revisited the area several times and for many years afterwards the site of Spring Mountain Ranch was known as the "Old Bill Williams Ranch."

Location and Climate:

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park is located 15 miles west of Las Vegas, via Charleston Blvd., in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

At 3,800 feet, the ranch is usually 10-15 degrees cooler than the Las Vegas Valley. Temperatures range from below freezing to above 100 degrees, and winds gusting down Sandstone Canyon are not uncommon. The summer season usuallly brings a few thunderstorms and flash floods. Winters are cold, with occasional snow showers.

History of the Black Hills

The Black Hills are traditional hunting grounds for American Indians. The Lakota never welcomed "the whiteman" to these hunting grounds. The first European explorers to see the Black Hills were probably Francis and Louis-Joseph Verendrye. These French explorers were traveling through South Dakota near the Missouri River. The exact route they were using is unknown, but according to Louis-Joseph's journal, on New Year's Day in 1743 they were on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River and were "...in sight of mountains". It was reported that their American Indian guides would not take them any closer to the mountains because hostile bands of Indians were known to live there.

Lewis and Clark heard tales about the Hills from other traders and trappers, but it wasn't until 1823 that Jedediah Smith and a group of about 15 traders actually traveled through them. While fur trade was at its peak, the Black Hills were explored to some extent by adventuresome trappers, but because the hills were considered sacred by the Lakota, most trappers avoided the area. Several reports of the discovery of gold in the "Black Hills" were heard during this time. However, exactly where the gold was discovered was often confusing because the Laramie Range in Wyoming was also occasionally called the "Black Hills".

As immigration across the continent increased there was a marked decline in American Indian-white relations. The Army established outposts nearby, but they seldom entered the Hills Black thinking that to do so would surely cause trouble. Trouble, however, was already brewing. Bands of Lakota reportedly raided settlements and then retreated to the cover of the Hills. Because of this, Lt. G.K. Warren was assigned the task of making a thorough reconnaissance of the plains of South Dakota, including the area known as the Black Hills. The study of the area was supplemented by another reconnaissance in 1859-60 by Capt. W.F. Reynolds and Dr. F.V. Hayden.

Himalayan Forest Research Institute

Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Shimla is one of the premier forestry research Institution under the umbrella of Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (an autonomous body under Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India). This regional Institute addresses specific research issues of Western Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

The Mandate of the Institute is to cater the forestry research, needs pertaining to eco-restoration of cold deserts & mined areas and regeneration of coniferous & broad-leaved forests, besides activities on management practices in temperate forests, and in alpine areas too. Popularization of agro-forestry and other related extension activities has been included in its mandate. The Institute also has the national mandate of Eco-restoration of cold deserts and study of regeneration problems of conifer species and has been declared as Centre of Advance Studies for Cold Desert Afforestation and Alpine Pasture Management.

Haleakala Crater

Haleakala National Park

This special place vibrates with stories of ancient and modern Hawaiian culture and protects the bond between the land and its people. The park also cares for endangered species some of which exist nowhere else. Come visit this special place - renew your spirit of adventure amid stark volcanic landscapes, sub-tropical rain forest and the unforgettable experience of hiking the backcountry.

Summit Area

No place you have ever been can prepare you for the experiences and feelings you will have on the summit of Haleakala volcano. The landscape - deeply sculpted, richly colored, and intensely evocative will be unlike any landcape you have known. Visually expansive, the summit area continually eludes any attempt to understand its scale or dimensions.

Weather

Ever-changing and unpredictable
In any given day the temperatures in the park can range from a high of 80°F (27°C) in Kipahulu to a low of 30°F (-1°C) at the summit. In either area clouds and rain can quickly replace warm sunshine.


Summit Area - Mountain and Wilderness Area - Mountain

Weather in the high-elevation areas of the park is highly unpredictable and changes often. Cool temperatures, intense solar radiation, and rapidly moving clouds are characteristic. On average, the temperature drops about 3°F for every 1,000 foot rise in elevation (or approximately 5°C for every 1,000 meter elevation rise), making the 10,023 foot (3055m) summit of Haleakala about 30°F (or 17°C) cooler than the coast. Year-round summit temperatures range between below freezing to highs of 50°-65°F (10-18°C). The outside temperatures can feel much colder because of wind chill and damp, overcast conditions.

You may spend a few hours hiking in the cinder desert landscape, or a few minutes looking for native birds in the shrubland - whatever you choose to do, you will do it surrounded by native Hawaiian plants and animals. The mountain summit is one of the only easily-accessible areas of Hawaii where our rare and endemic species survive and thrive.

Already impressive in the light of day, the summit takes on a new dimension at night when the darkness reveals the brilliant night sky.