<p>Italy’s relatively straight, parallel coastlines in the main part of the “boot” seem surprising given how the Apennines snake through it, from one side to the other and back. Don’t coastlines usually parallel mountain ranges more closely? Is there a good account of the geological forces shaping Italy’s coastlines?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/E5yqV.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/E5yqV.jpg" alt="relief map of Italy" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-14T15:43:38.753Z
coastlines have very little to do with mountain ranges, coastlines are mostly created by the continental crust margins.
John
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-26T09:00:21.037Z
@John The coasts of Norway and Alaska are quite fractal.  When mountains extend right to the coast I think it's difficult to maintain they have nothing to do with each other, when they are in the same place.
gerrit
<mountains><orogeny>
Why the difference between Italian coastlines and mountain ranges?
ed94133
# Why the difference between Italian coastlines and mountain ranges?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-03-14)

Italy’s relatively straight, parallel coastlines in the main part of the “boot” seem surprising given how the Apennines snake through it, from one side to the other and back. Don’t coastlines usually parallel mountain ranges more closely? Is there a good account of the geological forces shaping Italy’s coastlines?

[![relief map of Italy](https://i.sstatic.net/E5yqV.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/E5yqV.jpg)

**Tags:** mountains, orogeny

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: coastlines have very little to do with mountain ranges, coastlines are mostly created by the continental crust margins.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 The coasts of Norway and Alaska are quite fractal.  When mountains extend right to the coast I think it's difficult to maintain they have nothing to do with each other, when they are in the same place.  

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## 0 answers

