[Rockhounds] Groundbreaking Study Shakes Up Established Views on Mountain Formation

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

New research led by Colorado State University
<https://scitechdaily.com/tag/colorado-state-university/> indicates the
answers to how and why mountains form are buried deeper than once thought.

“Mountain building is a fundamental process of how Earth behaves,” said
Sean Gallen, lead author and CSU assistant professor of geosciences, “and
this study suggests that we may not understand that as well as we thought
we did.”

Gallen and his team generated new data sets and methodologies to utilize
landscapes in reconstructing extensive histories of mountain buildings in
Southern Italy. Their unique approach produced what Gallen describes as
“confounding” results.

“The results suggest that the typical way we view mountain building doesn’t
hold for southern Italy,” Gallen said. “It appears to be controlled by
things that are much deeper within the Earth system. This behavior has been
seen in models but never in nature. This is the first time we think we’ve
observed it.”
https://scitechdaily.com/groundbreaking-study-shakes-up-established-views-on-mountain-formation/?expand_article=1