Massif

In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term is also used to refer to a group of mountains formed by such a structure.

In mountaineering and climbing literature, a massif is frequently used to denote the main mass of an individual mountain. The massif is a smaller structural unit of the crust than a tectonic plate and is considered the fourth largest driving force in geomorphology.

The word is taken from French (in which the word also means "massive"), where it is used to refer to a large mountain mass or compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range. One of the most notable European examples of a massif is the Massif Central of the Auvergne region of France.

The Face on Mars is an example of an extraterrestrial massif.

Massifs may also form underwater such as with the Atlantis Massif.

List of massifs

Africa

• Adrar des Ifoghas â€" Mali
• Aïr Massif â€" Niger
• Bongo Massif â€" Central African Republic
• Marojejy Massif â€" Madagascar
• Mulanje Massif â€" Malawi
• Waterberg Biosphere â€" South Africa
• Virunga Massif-Border shared by Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo

Antarctica

• Borg Massif
• Craddock Massif
• Cumpston Massif
• Vinson Massif
• Otway Massif

Asia

• Annapurna â€" Nepal
• Chu Pong Massif â€" Vietnam
• Dhaulagiri
• Hazaran â€" Iran
• Kholeno â€" Iran
• Kangchenjunga â€" India
• Knuckles Massif â€" Sri Lanka
• Kondyor Massif â€" Russia
• Kugitangtau Ridge â€" Turkmenistan
• Logar ultrabasite massif â€" Logar Province, Afghanistan
• Mount Ararat â€" Turkey
• Mount Everest massif (including Lhotse) â€" border of Nepal and Tibet (China)
• Mount Kinabalu â€" Malaysia
• Mount Tomuraushi â€" Japan
• Nanga Parbat â€" Pakistan
• Nun Kun- India
• Panchchuli â€" India
• Southeast Asian Massif - South and Southeast Asia

Europe

• Alpilles â€" France
• Aravis Range â€" France
• Ardennes Massif - France/Belgium/Luxembourg
• Armorican Massif â€" Brittany, France
• Bauges Massif â€" France
• Beaufortain Massif â€" France
• Ben Nevis massif â€" Scotland
• Bohemian Massif â€" Czech Republic
• Bornes Massif â€" France
• Bristol Massif â€" United Kingdom
• Calanques Massif
• Ceahlău Massif â€" Romania
• Cerces Massif
• Chablais Massif â€" France
• Chartreuse Massif â€" France
• Cornubian Massif â€" United Kingdom
• Dévoluy Massif â€" France
• Massif des Écrins â€" France
• Gotthard Massif - Switzerland
• Jungfrau Massif â€" Switzerland
• Jura Mountains â€" France
• Lauzière massif
• L'Esterel Massif
• Long Mynd â€" England, United Kingdom
• Lubéron â€" France
• Massif Central â€" France
• Mercantour â€" France
• Montgris â€" Spain
• Montserrat â€" Spain
• Mont Blanc Massif- Italy/France
• Sila Massif- Italy
• Snowdon Massif - Wales, United Kingdom
• Taillefer Massif â€" France
• Troodos â€" Cyprus
• Queyras Massif â€" France
• Vanoise Massif â€" France
• Vercors Plateau â€" France
• Vitosha Massif â€" Bulgaria
• Vosges Mountains â€" France

North America

• Laurentian Massif â€" Jacques-Cartier National Park, Canada
• Le Massif â€" Canada
• Mount Edziza â€" Canada
• Mount Juneau â€" Alaska
• Mount Le Conte â€" Tennessee
• Mount Logan â€" Canada
• Mount Meager â€" Canada
• Mount Septimus â€" Canada
• Mount Shuksan â€" Washington
• Teton Range â€" Wyoming

Oceania

• Big Ben â€" Heard Island
• Ahipara Gumfields - New Zealand

Caribbean

• Massif de la Hotte â€" Haiti
• Valle Nuevo Massif â€" Dominican Republic

South America

• Brasilia Massif â€" Argentina
• Neblina massif â€" Venezuela-Brazil border
• Colombian Massif - Colombia

Submerged

• Atlantis Massif â€" part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean
• Tamu Massif â€" the largest volcano on Earth

References