Which ancient mountain chain runs parallel to the Atlantic coast in eastern North America, having formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician period?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Appalachian Mountains
- Step 1: The Appalachians were once as towering as the modern Alps or Rockies, but hundreds of millions of years of natural weathering have rounded their summits.
- Step 2: Mount Mitchell in North Carolina is the highest peak in the Appalachian system and the highest point in mainland North America east of the Mississippi River (2,037 m).
Answer
Appalachian Mountains
Why not the others: 'Rocky Mountains' are much younger fold mountains formed during the Laramide Orogeny; 'Adirondack Mountains' are a circular dome mountain uplift in upstate New York; 'Ozark Mountains' form a dissected plateau in Missouri and Arkansas.
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