I apologise for picking up on this particular point but, as a
geomorphologist, it’s something that needles me.
“Rainfall has nothing to do with mountain building. Tectonics make
mountains and rain etc erodes them away.”
By definition, mountains are erosional features. Tectonic processes do
not create mountains, they create uplifted plateaux, while rain, ice,
etc. create mountains from uplifted plateaux. The effects of
denudational unloading, usually more significant around the edge of an
uplifted surface, leads to a secondary phase of uplift that enhances
elevations around the edge of the uplifted area. Therefore, while
tectonic processes must have been responsible for the initial uplift of
the pre-existing plateau, it's entire possible for denudational
processes to drive more recent uplift. It is certainly wholly inaccurate
to suggest that “rainfall has nothing to do with mountain building”.
Best wishes,
Matt
--
Dr. Matt Rowberry
Department of Engineering Geology
Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
V Holešovičkách 41
18209 Prague 8
Czech Republic
email: [log in to unmask]
telephone: +420 266 009 327
http://irsm.academia.edu/rowberry
http://researchgate.net/profile/Matt_Rowberry
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