How Mountains are Formed
Students investigate how mountains are formed. Concepts include the composition and structure of the Earth's tectonic plates and tectonic plate boundaries, with an emphasis on plate convergence as it relates to mountain formation. Students learn that geotechnical engineers design technologies to measure movement of tectonic plates and mountain formation, as well as design to alter the mountain environment to create safe and dependable roadways and tunnels.
Students explore the formation of mountainsCopyright NIST http://www-nlpir.nist.gov/
Engineers create tunnels through mountains for transportation purposes. Before constructing a mountain tunnel, geotechnical engineers bore test holes into the mountain rock to sample and analyze the material that will be bored or drilled into during tunnel construction. To succeed with these big projects, engineers must have a solid understanding of the drilling process, and the composition and features of the mountain of interest—both of which are determined during the mountain's ancient formation.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain the connection between tectonic plates and mountain formation.
- Describe several types of technologies designed by engineers that are related to mountain formation, including tools and processes for measuring formation, predicting natural hazards, and determining the location of natural resources.