臺(tai)灣(wan)省中央山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)脈北(bei)(bei)部最(zui)高(gao)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)。海(hai)拔(ba)3740米(mi)(mi)(mi),僅次于(yu)玉山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)、雪(xue)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(副峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)除外)及(ji)(ji)中央山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)脈中段的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)秀姑巒山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)和(he)(he)馬博拉斯(si)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan),居(ju)全(quan)省第(di)5位。以(yi)(yi)(yi)南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)大(da)(da)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(主(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng))為(wei)(wei)(wei)核山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan),周(zhou)鄰(lin)約(yue)3公里半徑內,3500米(mi)(mi)(mi)以(yi)(yi)(yi)上(shang)高(gao)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)共有7座,皆以(yi)(yi)(yi)南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)為(wei)(wei)(wei)名(ming),簡稱(cheng)(cheng)北(bei)(bei)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(3535米(mi)(mi)(mi))、北(bei)(bei)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)(3580米(mi)(mi)(mi))、東(dong)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)(3639米(mi)(mi)(mi))、東(dong)南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)(3526米(mi)(mi)(mi))、中南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)(3500米(mi)(mi)(mi))、南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(3516米(mi)(mi)(mi)),為(wei)(wei)(wei)西注臺(tai)灣(wan)海(hai)峽的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)大(da)(da)甲(jia)溪和(he)(he)東(dong)入(ru)太(tai)平洋的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)立霧溪分水(shui)嶺。山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)匯諸峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)皆以(yi)(yi)(yi)粘板巖為(wei)(wei)(wei)主(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)。因(yin)高(gao)度(du)、位置和(he)(he)地(di)(di)勢適(shi)宜,曾是更新世冰(bing)(bing)川(chuan)分布區(qu),以(yi)(yi)(yi)主(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)及(ji)(ji)其(qi)外圍的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)北(bei)(bei)、東(dong)北(bei)(bei)、東(dong)3峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)為(wei)(wei)(wei)主(zhu)(zhu)(zhu),遺(yi)跡(ji)保存甚(shen)多(duo)(duo),冰(bing)(bing)蝕地(di)(di)形(xing)典(dian)型,有冰(bing)(bing)斗冰(bing)(bing)川(chuan)及(ji)(ji)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)谷冰(bing)(bing)川(chuan),前者尤多(duo)(duo)。中央凹地(di)(di)(亦稱(cheng)(cheng)南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)谷地(di)(di))的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)冰(bing)(bing)斗遺(yi)跡(ji)保存最(zui)好。南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)大(da)(da)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)一(yi)帶,冬春季(ji)節因(yin)受來自太(tai)平洋通過宜蘭(lan)三角洲平原上(shang)空深入(ru)的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)東(dong)北(bei)(bei)風,并受大(da)(da)陸冷氣團東(dong)南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)移影響,3000米(mi)(mi)(mi)以(yi)(yi)(yi)上(shang)地(di)(di)區(qu)常有短期(qi)積雪(xue)甚(shen)厚,由此亦可推知本區(qu)昔時冰(bing)(bing)川(chuan)生成(cheng)(cheng)和(he)(he)冰(bing)(bing)蝕地(di)(di)形(xing)發(fa)育情(qing)況。據調查研(yan)究(jiu),在(zai)(zai)南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)主(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)及(ji)(ji)其(qi)東(dong)北(bei)(bei)外圍,共已發(fa)現冰(bing)(bing)斗地(di)(di)形(xing)不下12處(chu),底(di)高(gao)在(zai)(zai)3300米(mi)(mi)(mi)以(yi)(yi)(yi)上(shang),尤以(yi)(yi)(yi)3500米(mi)(mi)(mi)左右為(wei)(wei)(wei)多(duo)(duo)。位于(yu)主(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)峰(feng)(feng)(feng)(feng)東(dong)北(bei)(bei)坡的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)一(yi)處(chu),徑長達(da)2500米(mi)(mi)(mi),寬約(yue)1000米(mi)(mi)(mi),其(qi)西壁中部高(gao)約(yue)1000米(mi)(mi)(mi)的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)陡崖,角度(du)大(da)(da)致(zhi)60°~70°。在(zai)(zai)此西鄰(lin),更有長達(da)4000米(mi)(mi)(mi),寬約(yue)1500米(mi)(mi)(mi)的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)一(yi)處(chu)。估計(ji)南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)大(da)(da)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)冰(bing)(bing)斗群形(xing)成(cheng)(cheng)時,雪(xue)線高(gao)度(du)大(da)(da)致(zhi)相當3400~3500米(mi)(mi)(mi)。發(fa)源于(yu)南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)大(da)(da)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)西側(ce)的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)南(nan)(nan)(nan)(nan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)溪及(ji)(ji)與(yu)其(qi)西鄰(lin)源于(yu)雪(xue)山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)東(dong)北(bei)(bei)坡的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)七家(jia)灣(wan)溪等(deng)(均大(da)(da)甲(jia)溪上(shang)源),均以(yi)(yi)(yi)產一(yi)種(zhong)可能(neng)為(wei)(wei)(wei)冰(bing)(bing)期(qi)殘留的(de)(de)(de)(de)(de)鮭(gui)鱒魚(yu)類著名(ming),這種(zhong)陸封(feng)型魚(yu)類即與(yu)冰(bing)(bing)川(chuan)時期(qi)低溫氣候有密切(qie)聯系(xi)。