The Tectonics of Tamriels

Tamriel, on the Planet Nirn, "is the most well-known and important continent on the planet” (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Tamriel). The continent exhibits numerous tectonic features, not the least of which is the enormous volcano in Morrowind, Red Mountain (Figure 1).

Figure 1 http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110427234009/elderscrolls/images/thumb/c/cf/BA_Red_Mountain.jpg/250px-BA_Red_Mountain.jpg

The eruption of Red Mountain in the early years of the 4^th era all but obliterated the island of Vvardenfell, of which the volcano makes up nearly two-thirds of the whole. In the DEM (figure 2) one can see the extent of the lava flow from the top of Red Mountain. The volcano continues to spew forth ash into the air. Pahoehoe, which long since cooled “are often used as roads” by the folks in Morrowind (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Mountain). Vvardenfell remains a wasteland and the land to both “north and east of the mountain is arid and barely habitable” (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Mountain).

Figure 2

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110527023739/elderscrolls/images/thumb/2/29/Vvardenfell-map.jpg/180px-Vvardenfell-map.jpg

To the east of Morrowind lies the province of Skyrim. The province is dominated by mountains throughout with some flat plains to the west-central portion of the province. These mountains have been created along faults within the crust of the “earth”. Faulting appears to be the culprit insomuch as the mountains along all three continental borders exhibit linear scarps that run parallel to the face of the mountains. However Throat of the World, the tallest mountain in all Tamriel (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/High_Hrothgar) stands alone from the rest of the mountain ranges and holds its own unique tectonic story. It too is a result of faulting but it juts out and away from the predominant east-west scarp to which it may be a part. It is identifiable as a scarp because of the triangular facets that radiate out from the mountain on the northeast and southeast sides. The mountains to the west appear to be the result of slip-strike faulting with right lateral movement as indicated by the abrupt change in the flow of the river running along the otherwise straight line fault scarp (Figure 3).

Figure 3 http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111009095221/elderscrolls/images/thumb/0/08/Map_of_skyrim_bintoenglish.jpg/350px-Map_of_skyrim_bintoenglish.jpg