Mount Marshak towers above the landscape at 5.3 km tall.The rate of uplift at Mount Marshak is 1.3 mm/yr and the rate of erosion is 1.5 mm/yr.How tall will Mount Marshak be after a million years,assuming everything remains constant?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

After a million years, the net change in height will be the difference between the rate of uplift and the rate of erosion, multiplied by the time:

Net change = (rate of uplift - rate of erosion) x time

Net change = (1.3 - 1.5) mm/yr x 1,000,000 yr

Net change = -0.2 mm/yr x 1,000,000 yr

Net change = -200 m

Since the net change is negative, this means that Mount Marshak will be shorter in a million years than it is now. Subtracting the net change from the current height of 5.3 km gives:

Final height = 5.3 km - 0.2 km

Final height = 5.1 km

Therefore, the best choice is C) 5.1 km.

Mount Marshak Towers Above the Landscape at 5