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Kunlun Origins
An orogenic process -- the Indian and Eurasian plates collided -- created the Kunlun Mountains. The crushing forces of this tectonic convergence produced all the Central Asian mountain ranges, including the Himalayas. The primary structure of the Kunluns comprises granite, deformed by extreme pressure. This granite has been dated to approximately 250 million years ago. However, the inner depressions between the parallel belts of ridges date to only around 26 million years ago.
Kunlun Geography
The Kunlun Mountains span approximately 1,250 miles, running east to west. The range forms a natural barrier between the Tibetan Plateau to the south and the Tarim Basin and Taklamakan desert to the north. At about the midpoint, the range forks, with the Altun range splitting off to the northeast. The Kunluns are narrow at the eastern end, widening as the range moves westward.
Kunlun Climate
The climate of the Kunlun Mountains is primarily arid. Its central region receives fewer than 5 inches of rainfall each year, while the arid ends receive an average of around 48 inches. The lower northern tier region averages 77 to 82 degrees during July, with January temperatures bottoming out at around 16 degrees. The higher southern tier region averages less than 50 degrees during July, with temperatures dropping to 31 degrees below zero or less during January.
Kunlun Volcanic Group
The Kunlun volcanic group includes 70 pyroclastic cone volcanoes and basaltic lava flows. Kunlun, which last erupted in 1951, is the highest volcano in the Northern Hemisphere at just over 19,000 feet. Ashi Shan, located at the western end of the group, is the youngest volcano in China.
Kunlun Seismic Activity
The Kunlun Mountains are located atop two major strike-slip faults: the Kunlun fault and the Altyn Tagh fault. The Kunlun fault runs the length of the entire range, averaging nearly half an inch of lateral movement each year. The Altyn Tagh fault runs the length of the Altun branch. Both faults are seismically active.
Kunlun Animals
Despite the lack of abundant vegetation on the slopes of the Kunluns, limited pools of standing water and scattered grasses enable the mountain range to support various roaming herds. In the east, Tibetan gazelles, Tibetan goat antelopes, wild asses and wild yaks call the range home. In the west, Argali sheep graze in the elevated grasslands, while blue sheep, Ladakh urials and ibex live on the rocky upper slopes.