Cerro Mohinora is an
extinct volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
that is part of the
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American ...
mountain range in the Mexican state of
Chihuahua located in the municipality of
Guadalupe y Calvo. Cerro Mohinora is the highest point in the state of Chihuahua reaching an elevation of 3,300 m (10,827 ft) above sea level. The climate of the mountain is extremely cold in the winter and temperate to semi-cold in the summer.
Geology
The mountain began to form during
Paleogene geologic period characterized by intense volcanic activity in the area throwing lava and ash onto the surrounding plateau and creating the
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American ...
. Cerro Mohinora was raised to an elevation over 3,300 m above sea level during the
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in ...
by intense tectonic activity. The mountain is mainly composed of
igneous
Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...
rock.
Climate
Using the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
the climate of the mountain is
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(Dfb). Summers are cool with temperatures rarely reaching 25 °C (77 °F) and summer lows fall below 10 °C (50 °F) regularly. There are heavy rainstorms from June to October. Winters are very cold with maximum high reaching 0 °C (32 °F) and reaching a maximum low of -31 °C (-24 °F). Winter snowstorms with high winds are common and typically over 1 meter (~3 ft) of snow per season.
Cerro Mohinora Flora and Fauna Protection Area
Cerro Mohinora Flora and Fauna Protection Area was designated in 2015. It covers an area of 91.26 km
2, which includes the peak and extends to the north and east.
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References
{{reflist
Landforms of Chihuahua (state)
Mohinora
Mohinora
Flora and fauna protection areas of Mexico
Protected areas of Chihuahua (state)
Protected areas of the Sierra Madre Occidental