# Plate Tectonics and Middle Earth



## Steerpike (Nov 12, 2012)

If you like to see the extent to which fans will engage with a source material:

Middle-Earth gets a Geological Makeover | Green tea and Velociraptors


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## CupofJoe (Nov 13, 2012)

That is - impressive...


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## Ireth (Nov 13, 2012)

The nerdiness level of whoever figured that out is DEFINITELY over 9000. XD


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## Cosmolien (Nov 13, 2012)

Thank you this is really helpful


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## Mindfire (Nov 13, 2012)

There are no words.


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## Benjamin Clayborne (Nov 13, 2012)

One does not simply tectonically explain Mordor.


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## Sheilawisz (Nov 13, 2012)

When I looked at a Middle Earth map for the first time, I thought that the mountains and other features were displayed in a very unnatural order and that they could not be explained from a realistic and geological point of view.

I mean, why is Mordor a high plateau surrounded by mountains, like it was a natural fortress or something??

The map even made me think of the world _Fantastica_ and also my own Fantasy worlds, where the high mountains, vast forests, freezing ice fields and also huge lakes exist at very unusual places for no apparent reason =)

I think that Tolkien did not really care about realistic geology, and from my point of view, this tells us that we should not always take so seriously the realistic details and construction of our Fantasy worlds.


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## Sparkie (Nov 13, 2012)

Sheilawisz said:


> I think that Tolkien did not really care about realistic geology, and from my point of view, this tells us that we should not always take so seriously the realistic details and construction of our Fantasy worlds.



In my opinion, there can indeed be such a thing as too much worldbuilding.


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## Steerpike (Nov 13, 2012)

Sparkie said:


> In my opinion, there can indeed be such a thing as too much worldbuilding.



Often followed by the insistence on sharing with the reader your way-too-much world building, thereby boring the reader stiff until she throws your book at the cat.


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## FatCat (Nov 13, 2012)

No matter how boring a book is, leave cats out of it! They've done nothing wrong...usually.


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## Weaver (Nov 14, 2012)

FatCat said:


> No matter how boring a book is, leave cats out of it! They've done nothing wrong...usually.



Isn't the cat usually ON the book in the first place...?


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## Feo Takahari (Nov 14, 2012)

I dunno. There has to be a midpoint between overexplaining and rivers that run through mountain ranges (thank you, Paolini!)


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## Benjamin Clayborne (Nov 14, 2012)

Sheilawisz said:


> I mean, why is Mordor a high plateau surrounded by mountains, like it was a natural fortress or something??



Perhaps Sauron took a few thousand years to shift the landscape around so that Mordor _would_ essentially be a fortress. He _was_ an Ainur, after all.


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## Mindfire (Nov 14, 2012)

Feo Takahari said:


> I dunno. There has to be a midpoint between overexplaining and rivers that run through mountain ranges (thank you, Paolini!)


You saying mountains don't have rivers? Huh?



Benjamin Clayborne said:


> Perhaps Sauron took a few thousand years to shift the landscape around so that Mordor _would_ essentially be a fortress. He _was_ an Ainur, after all.


One of the Maiar to be more precise. IIRC, the term "Ainur", though not technically wrong, is generally used to describe their state of being _outside_ of EÃ¤.


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## Aldarion (Dec 26, 2019)

Feo Takahari said:


> I dunno. There has to be a midpoint between overexplaining and *rivers that run through mountain ranges* (thank you, Paolini!)



To be fair, such rivers exist in real life, though they are understandably rare.
Alaska rivers flow through mountain range | Geophysical Institute
https://cdn.britannica.com/52/3052-...-basins-mountain-ranges-drainage-networks.jpg
Water gap - Wikipedia


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