Work

Morphological mapping of mountains on a global scale: combining topographic representation with tectonic features

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Current mountain mapping and cartographic designs sometimes fail to balance detailed topographic data with regional mountain features and do not establish a clear correlation between mountain morphology and tectonic processes. In this paper, a thematic map is designed to create impressions that reflect the overall characteristics of global mountains. This map represents the spatial distribution, morphological types, ranges and peaks of mountains worldwide. Its utility is enhanced by integrating clear mountain differentiation characterization and plate tectonic information. By overlaying tectonic boundaries and hotspots onto mountain representations, the internal genesis of mountains becomes intuitively visible. The map is compiled using a high-resolution (90 m) mountain characterization dataset, which depicts approximately 39,624,601 km2 of mountainous land, comprising 26.6% of the global land area.

Source: Journal of Maps

DOI: 10.1080/17445647.2024.2442708

Authors: Xi Nan, Ainong Li, Jinhu Bian, Zhengjian Zhang, Guangbin Lei

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment

Language: English

Topic: Historical Geography and Cartography

Subfield: Geography, Planning and Development

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $778

Funders: Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, National Key Research and Development Program of China