Geological Chronicle
Montes Cordillera forms the outer ring of peaks surrounding the Mare Orientale impact basin on the Moon's southwestern limb, encircling the inner ring of Montes Rook. The range extends from just south of the lunar equator to approximately 38° S, with its western flank reaching 116° W on the lunar far side. Named from the Spanish word for a mountain chain, Montes Cordillera spans an official diameter of 963.5 kilometers.
The inner side of Montes Cordillera consists of an uneven plain surrounding Montes Rook, while its outer flank features a wide blanket of ejecta created during the formation of Mare Orientale. These deposits created ridges and valleys radiating from the basin, including Vallis Bouvard, Vallis Baade, and Vallis Inghirami to the southeast, and Vallis Bohr to the north. In the southwestern section of the range lies the highest mountain on the Moon, featuring a summit elevation of 9.46 kilometers and rising about 3.5 kilometers above its base.
Several impact craters frame the perimeter of the range. To the northeast lie the craters Schlüter and Hartwig, where Hartwig has been heavily modified by ejecta from Mare Orientale, whereas Schlüter is a younger crater, formed after this impact. The southeastern section of the range contains the craters Krasnov and Shaler. Along the inner side of the range to the northeast lies Lacus Autumni, a small lunar mare feature situated between the range and Montes Rook.