The Scottish Highlands, the Appalachians, Atlas Are the Same Mountain Range
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A fascinating discussion is unfolding around the geological connection between the Scottish Highlands, Appalachian Mountains, and Atlas Mountains. It all started with the revelation that these mountain ranges were once part of the same ancient range, formed over 480 million years ago when the supercontinent of Pangaea was still intact. As the continents drifted apart, the ranges were separated, and their shared history was obscured. Commenters are weighing in on the similarities and differences between these ranges, with some noting that the Appalachian and Atlas Mountains share similar geological features, while others point out that the Himalayas are a more recent and distinct formation. One user even jokingly referred to being "nerd sniped" by the topic, highlighting the captivating nature of the discussion. The conversation is shedding new light on the complex geological history of our planet and the processes that have shaped it over millions of years.
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Dec 18, 2025 at 2:15 PM EST
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> In the Paleogene and Neogene Periods (~66 million to ~1.8 million years ago), the mountain chains that today constitute the Atlas were uplifted, as the land masses of Europe and Africa collided at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula.
But it also notes,
> The Anti-Atlas Mountains are believed to have originally been formed as part of the Alleghenian orogeny. These mountains were formed when Africa and America collided
Anti-Atlas? If we jump over to the Anti-Atlas article we see,
> In some contexts, the Anti-Atlas is considered separate from the Atlas Mountains system, as the prefix "anti" (i.e. opposite) implies.
and
> The summits of the Anti-Atlas reach average heights of 2,500–2,700 m (8,200–8,900 ft),
So in addition to subsequent events, the portion of the Atlas originally formed with the Appalachian is geologically distinguishable from the others portions of the Atlas chain, and actually significantly lower than the parts of the Atlas chain formed later, though not as low as the Appalachians.
The collision with Asia began around 50–55 Ma and is still ongoing, which is why the Himalayas are still rising today.
Most people wouldn't object to an article about Kilimanjaro containing a map of where it is in Tanzania, but for reference, here is a map of just the mountain: O.
I think they might have gotten flatter in the intervening 200M+ years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Continental_Trail
It’s a very busy trail with relatively good infrastructure .
Also, AIUI, because bourbon has to be aged in new white oak barrels, you find a lot of former bourbon barrels aging distilled spirits all throughout the world, Scotland included.
Interesting, I just looked up the details on this[0]. I’m surprised they didn’t hammer that home as well. I thought maybe you were just being pedantic at first, but that’s a good call out.
They did talk about the rules of scotch vs bourbon and how some of that supply chain works for reuse.
[0] https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk/about/about-whisky/...
There used to be a place on Allison Street that did a kind of mutton liver and spinach stew with fenugreek and green chillis that I am currently right at this moment prepared to drive a 12-hour round trip to buy.
Scotland and Ireland were exchanging population for millennia because they are physically close. As soon as England got involved, trouble began.
[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20250326213947/https://www.geoti...
So, advertising your side project? Because it is useless for checking out Scottish Highlands trails.
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015AGUFM.T13A2979G/abstra...
He did "Baja-BC A to Z" 3 years ago:
https://www.nickzentner.com/#/baja-bc-a-to-z/
With the associated reading list: https://www.geology.cwu.edu/facstaff/nick/gBAJA/
Currently he's about halfway through another "A to Z" called "Alaska A to Z" which covers some of that same territory
https://www.nickzentner.com/#/livestream-series-26-episodes/
And the so-far-posted reading list: https://www.geology.cwu.edu/facstaff/nick/gALASKA/
Of central importance to the first half of the current Alaska series is recent paper by geologist Robert S. Hildebrand titled: "The enigmatic Tintina–Rocky Mountain Trench fault:a hidden solution to the BajaBC controversy?"
Zentner's a goddamned national treasure.
Q: Where in the US are you closest to Africa?
Wrong Answer: Florida
A: Maine
I guess it's kind of like how Edinburgh on the east coast of the UK is quite a bit further west than Bristol on the west coast of the UK.
and similar, traversing the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific puts you farther east.
If you are interested in the geology of Scotland, there are excellent books available, including "Land of Mountain and Flood: The Geology and Landforms of Scotland". I am sure good books about the Appalachians and the Atlas are available, too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutton%27s_Unconformity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfdwRRpiYGQ&t=68s