Plate Tectonics and Middle Earth

[Steerpike]

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

 

[CupofJoe]

That is - impressive...

 

[Ireth]

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

 

[Cosmolien]

Thank you this is really helpful

 

[Mindfire]

There are no words.

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

One does not simply tectonically explain Mordor.

 

[Sheilawisz]

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.

 

[Sparkie]

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.

 

[Steerpike]

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.

 

[FatCat]

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

 

[Weaver]

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...?

 

[Feo Takahari]

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

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

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.

 

[Mindfire]

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?

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 Eä.

 

[Aldarion]

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