One for the Volcanologists

[Manwe Sulimo]

Umm....a big one.

It was part of a mountain range, just sorta disconnected from it. Ered Lithui and Ephel Dúath met to create Udûn (no, not Hell), but also created a small "veryhighlands", between Isenmouthe, Orodruin, and Barad-dûr. If you look at the map, you see a small mountain range extending south from Ered Lithui, ending at Barad-dûr. Then, a small gap, then Orodruin. Then another gap, then Morgai. Mordor is actually Minas Tirith-like, with Udûn as the top tier, the aforementioned region the second highest, then Gorgoroth the third, followed by Nurn and the rest of Mordor. (At least, I assume that the elevation decreases, since there is the inland sea of Núrnen.) As for plates, it doesn't have to be directly over a plate, but slightly off....for instance, there is probably a division just east of Anduin (which formed Ephel Dúath) that might have a vent that travels to Orodruin.

[ December 15, 2002: Message edited by: Manwe Sulimo ]