Mountains grow faster than expected
2006/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
Researchers at the University of Rochester have calculated the growth of the mountains through two new methods that have reached the same conclusion: The Andes rose between 10 and 7 million years. According to this, the mountains grow much faster than they imagined.
It is difficult to measure the growth of the mountains. On the one hand, as the mountains grow, the climate erodes, but the climate is changing, it is not a constant factor. On the other hand, with height and time, the medium is changing, which also hinders the work of geologists.
The researchers have tested two methods on the Bolivian plateau, sediments of 12-5 million years ago. In one of them, the isotopes of oxygen present in the carbonate have been studied and hence the rainfall over time. In the other technique, the temperature to which the carbonate rocks were generated has been studied.
Both methods coincide and the result is surprising, since no one thought that the Andes grew so fast. However, the researchers have also explained this fact. It seems that the phenomena that occur in the solid part of the top of the mantle push the mountains upwards and therefore grow so fast.
Both research has been published in scientific journals, Science and Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
