9 Oldest Mountain Ranges in the World
When it comes to the majesty of nature, mountains are some of the most prominent and awe-inspiring natural formations. Mountains are home to diverse wildlife, flora, and fauna, and they are often the source of springs and rivers that support life from the highest peaks down to the lowest valleys. In addition to the numerous resources and minerals that mountains provide, they also give a glimpse into the age of a geographic area.
Geologists hold the key to determining the age of a mountain. By studying the strata of sediment and rock formation, they can compare their findings to the geologic time scale and produce data about the absolute dating, or specific time, in which the rocks and mountain range was formed. Thanks to their findings, we now know the 9 oldest mountain ranges in the world.
9. Blue Ridge Mountains in the Appalachians, 1.2 Billion Years Old (BYO)
Country and Origin: USA, Appalachias
Highest Peak: Mount Mitchell, 6, 684 feet
Average Elevation: 2000-4000 feet
Approximate Area: 5 to 65 miles wide
Highest Peak: Mount Mitchell, 6, 684 feet
Average Elevation: 2000-4000 feet
Approximate Area: 5 to 65 miles wide
8. Mount Pilanesberg in the Witwatersrand Range, 1.2 BYO
Country and Origin: South Africa, Northwest Province
Highest Peak: 5,535 feet
Average Elevation: N/A
Approximate Area: 24 km
Highest Peak: 5,535 feet
Average Elevation: N/A
Approximate Area: 24 km
7. St. Francois Mountains, 1.485 BYO
Country and Origin: USA, Missouri
Highest Peak:Taum Sauk Mountain, 1,772 feet
Average Elevation: 1,136 feet
Approximate Area: 7,028 acres
Highest Peak:Taum Sauk Mountain, 1,772 feet
Average Elevation: 1,136 feet
Approximate Area: 7,028 acres
6. Black Hills, 1.8 BYO
Country and Origin: USA, South Dakota and Wyoming
Highest Peak: Black Elk Peak, 7,242 feet
Average Elevation: 4,000-7,000 feet
Approximate Area: 5,000 square miles
Highest Peak: Black Elk Peak, 7,242 feet
Average Elevation: 4,000-7,000 feet
Approximate Area: 5,000 square miles
5. Guiana Highlands, 2 BYO
Country and Origin: Northeastern South America
Highest Peak: Pico de Neblina, 9,823 feet
Average Elevation: 2600-4900 feet
Approximate Area: 1200 miles long, 200-600 miles wide
Highest Peak: Pico de Neblina, 9,823 feet
Average Elevation: 2600-4900 feet
Approximate Area: 1200 miles long, 200-600 miles wide
4. Magaliesberg, 2.4 BYO
Country and Origin: South Africa, Northwest Province
Highest Peak: Nooitgedacht, 1852 meters
Average Elevation: 300 meters
Approximate Area: 120 km
Highest Peak: Nooitgedacht, 1852 meters
Average Elevation: 300 meters
Approximate Area: 120 km
3. Waterberg Mountains, 2.7 BYO
Country and Origin: South Africa, Limpopo Province
Highest Peak: Geelhoutkop, 6,000 feet
Average Elevation: 600 meters
Approximate Area: 14,500 sq km
Highest Peak: Geelhoutkop, 6,000 feet
Average Elevation: 600 meters
Approximate Area: 14,500 sq km
2. Hamersley Range, 3.4 BYO
Country and Origin: Western Australia, Pilbara Region
Highest Peak: Mount Meharry, 4,098 feet
Average Elevation: 450-550 m
Approximate Area: 160 miles
Highest Peak: Mount Meharry, 4,098 feet
Average Elevation: 450-550 m
Approximate Area: 160 miles
1. Makhonjwa Mountains in the Barberton Greenstone Belt, 3.5 BYO
Country and Origin: South Africa and Swaziland
Highest Peak: 5,900 feet
Average Elevation: 2,000-5,900 feet
Approximate Area: 120 by 60 km
Highest Peak: 5,900 feet
Average Elevation: 2,000-5,900 feet
Approximate Area: 120 by 60 km
About 80 percent of the mountains are in South Africa with the remaining portion sprawling into Swaziland. The mountains are situated in an area known as the Barberton Greenstone Belt, so named after the discovery of gold in the area by the George Barber and his cousins that led to a gold rush in the late nineteenth century.
It was not until the 1960s that researchers began to show interest in the age of the mountains themselves. Two brothers, Morris and Richard Viljoen, discovered traces of Archaean lava, distinctive to the Komati river valley. This discovery also led to the highest ever recorded temperature for volcanic rocks at 1650 degrees Celsius. The Archaean sequences are remarkably well-preserved and give a glimpse into the oceanic and continental crust of ancient Earth. Fossils of some of the earliest life forms are embedded in the Makhonjwa Mountains, and the area shows evidence of the earliest recorded meteorite impact.
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