LESSON NOTE FOR WEEK TWO ENDING 18th

JANUARY 2024

PERIOD: *1st

DURATION: 40 minutes

TIME: *8:00- 8:40 am

(*- tentative period)

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Audio visual materials on rocks, pictures of mountain

types and the reference material of Comprehensive Geography

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the class, students should be able to

ii) Define mountains and plateaux

ii) List and explain the types of mountains and plateaux

iii) Give examples of the different types of mountains and plateaux

iv) List the Importance of mountains and plateaux

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE:

The learners have been taught rocks .

CONTENT

MOUNTAINS AND PLATEAUX

Mountains

Mountains are great elevated land surface resulting from intense action of internal forces. They
are usually above 600m in height and may be single, isolated features with steep slope and peaks.
It may also spread extensively as a mountain range

TYPES OF MOUNTAIN

The types of mountains include

 Fold mountain
 Block mountain
 Volcanic mountain
 Residual mountain
i) FOLD MOUNTAINS-
Characteristics
 These are mountains that contain old, hard rocks with steep sides.
 They have a wrinkling or folding appearance and show distinct peaks of great
height
 They exist in layered form
 They have soft anticlines and synclines
 They shorten the earth crust due to its folded nature.

Examples are Atlas mountain (Morocco in Africa), Himalayas (Asia), Rockies

(USA), Andes (South America), Alps (Switzerland)

Mode of formation

Fold Mountains are formed by large scale horizontal earth movement as a result
of stress and compression forces which cause expansion and contraction of some
part of the earth. Such stress therefore subjects the rocks to compression forces.

The compression forces produce wrinkling or folding of the crust of the earth.

- up fold of the wrinkle is called anticline

- down fold of the wrinkle is called syncline
 ii) BLOCK MOUNTAINS

Characteristics

 They are made up of old hard rocks with flat or slightly slopping surface
 They have steep sides
 They are associated with rift valleys
 They are blocks between two faults
 It has fairly steep, straight edges
Examples are Hunsruck mountain, Voges black forest of the Rhineland and Ruwenzori

Mode of Formation
Block Mountains (Horsts) are formed as a result of lateral or vertical (upward)
movement of the earth or as a result of faulting caused when the earth cracks.
Tensional forces pull the earth crust apart (normal fault), while the compression forces
shortens the earth crust to produce a reverse fault. Block Mountains lie between these
faults
RIFT VALLEYS

Characteristics

 They are depressions from block mountains

 They are steep sided
 They are usually very deep
 They have flat bed and irregular floor
Examples are Rhine valley, Dead Sea, Jordan valley

Mode of Formation
When tensional or compression forces are operating, two parallel faults may occur. With
the influence of gravitational forces, sinking of the land between the faults occurs. The
block in between the sinks is the rift valley. It is akin to the reverse of the Block
Mountain

iii) VOLCANIC MOUNTAINS

Characteristics
 It is made up of lava
 They are usually conical in shape
 Materials that make up Volcanic Mountains are ash volcanic bombs and
cinders
Examples are Mt Fiji (Japan), Mt Kilimanjaro (East Africa)

Mode of Formation
Volcanic mountains are formed from volcanoes which are built from molten
magma ejected through fissures or vents in the earth crust. The materials are
molten lava, volcanic bomb cinders, ash dust and red hot liquid mud. They are
referred to as mountain of accumulation because they are formed from the
vent in the layers of the earth crust.
iv) RESIDUAL MOUNTAINS
Characteristics
 They are formed from the remains of pre-existing or already existing
mountains
 They have irregular surfaces with steep sides
 They occur in varying heights

Examples are Decan Plateau, Highlands of Scotland and Highlands of

Scandinavia

Mode of Formation

They are formed when agents of denudation (e.g running water and glacier) wear
down highland leaving behind isolated resistant rocks which stand high above the
worn down surfaces
IMPORTANCE OF MOUNTAINS

1. Source of Mineral Resources- Tin and Columbite from Jos Plateau and Coal from Udi
hills in Enugu
2. Source of Rivers- The source of rivers are mountains and highlands. The Guinean
highlands for instance,(especially the Futa djallon Plateau) is the source of the River
Niger.
3. They are used for construction
4. Tourist Attraction- Huge formations from mountains serve as areas tourists would love to
visit
5. They enhance relief rain formation
6. They have application in Transhumance (Mountain pasture)
7. They modify climate (leading to cool climate at the higher altitudes)
8. Lumbering occurs on mountain slopes and hills

DISADVANTAGES OF MOUNTAINS

1. They can cause barrier to communication

2. They prevent human habitation
3. They occupy good agricultural land and settlements
4. The soils in mountains are relatively poorer than other soils.

PLATEAUX

It is an elevated upland with extensive level surface which descends steeply to the
surrounding lowlands

Characteristics

 They are elevated uplands

 They have extensive or flat surfaces which descends sharply to surrounding lowlands
 They are often referred to as “table lands”
 They are tabular in shape with rough sides and irregular surfaces.
 They are usually relics (remains) of ancient mountain ranges

TYPES OF PLATEAUX

I) Tectonic plateau- These are plateau formed as a result of earth movement which
causes the upliftment of some areas and depression of others. They are either
table lands (uplifted areas of the level land slope down to surrounding lower
lands) or Intermont (uplifted area of the level land slopes or are enclosed by fold
mountains) e.g Deccan Plateau (India)
II) Volcanic plateau- These are formed as a result of volcanic activities where
magna solidifies with extensive flat surface e.g Columbia Snake Plateau and
Biu Plateau
III) Dissected Plateau- They originate from ancient fold mountains which may have
weathered or the remains of other types of plateau

IMPORTANCE OF PLATEAUX

I) They are source of valuable minerals e.g Tin and Columbite, Iron, Gold etc
II) They are great tourist sites.
III) They are good for arable farming
IV) They are sources of rivers
V) They aid in the formation of rainfall
VI) They are favourable for settlement e.g Jos Plateau
VII) They are good for Hydro Electric Power (HEP), especially when they occur on a
river course as a water fall

EVALUATION QUESTION(S):
1. With drawings, Explain the types of Mountains
2. List the importance of mountains
3. What are Plateaux?
4. List the types of Plateaux
5 a) Name two landforms produced by faulting
ii) With drawings, describe the characteristics of one of the landforms mentioned in a (i)
above
b) Highlight the importance of mountains to man

ASSIGNMENT: PROJECT
Write on one of the following
 Udi hills
 Olumo rock
 Zuma rock
 Jos Plateau
 Adamawa highlands
 Atlas Mountains
 Mountain Kilimanjaro
 Mountain Everest

Marks would be given for pictures of the formation, the longitude and latitude where
the formation is found, unique characteristics of the formation, history behind the
formation and how the natives of the area relate to it, and the economic importance or
mineral resources in the area where the formation is found.