Tectonic Extension

East African Rift This long, deep valley that was the birthplace of Homo sapiens was created by tectonic forces that are pulling Africa apart, east to west, in a process known as tectonic extension. In time, the East Africa Rift will become a new ocean basin. For images and more detail, take a look at […]

Tectonic Forces

Landscapes are formed by the various combinations of tectonic forces, weathering, erosion, and deposition. Plate tectonics are driven by gravity and the Earth’s heat. Heat from the Earth’s interior escapes through convection just like the convection you see in a pot of boiling water or in a lava lamp, only much m-u-c-h slower. Cold, dense […]

Figure 3.1: This U-shaped river valley, near Glacier Park, shows features typical of many Montana landscapes.

The Shape of Landscapes

I grew up in the prairies where you might argue that there is not much landscape. But that is not how I saw it. As a child I roamed over the tiny little hills and broad flat plains and noticed all kinds of fine detail. It wasn’t until I was at university, though, and by […]

Module 2:
Landscape

After completing this module, you will be able to: Use different tools to observe and measure the shape of the topography near your school; Describe the local topography in qualitative and quantitative terms; Compare the topography of your area with that of other parts of Montana and the world; Name the processes that are involved […]

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The MSP project is funded by an ESEA, Title II Part B Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant through the Montana Office of Public Instruction. MSP was developed by the Clark Fork Watershed Education Program and faculty from Montana Tech of The University of Montana and Montana State University, with support from other Montana University System Faculty.