Mountain

• Mountain is a raised part of the earth’s surface, much larger than a hill. They rise all over the world, including the oceans. They usually have steep, sloping sides and sharp or rounded ridges, and a high point, called a peak or summit.
• Most geologists classify a mountain as a landform that rises at least 1000 feet or more above its surrounding area.
• A mountain range is a series or chain of mountains that are close together.

Types of Mountain-

There are five basic kinds of mountains:

• Fold Mountains
• Fault-block Mountains
• Dome Mountains
• Volcanic Mountains
• Plateau Mountains

1. Fold Mountains– Fold mountains are formed when two plates collide head on, and their edges crumbled, much the same way as a piece of paper folds when pushed together. The upward folds are known as anticlines, and the downward folds are synclines.

Example of Fold Mountains-

• Himalayan Mountains in Asia
• The Alps in Europe
• The Andes in South America
• The Rockies in North America
• The Urals In Russia

2. Fault-block Mountains– These mountains form when faults or cracks in the earth’s crust force some material or blocks of rock up and others down. Often fault-block mountains have a steep front side and a sloping back side.

Examples of Fault-block Mountains-

• The Sierra Nevada mountains in North America.
• The Harz Mountains in Germany.

3. Dome Mountains– Dome mountains are the result of a great amount of melted rock pushing its way up under the earth crust. Without actually erupting onto the surface, the magma pushes up overlaying rock layers.

4. Volcanic Mountains- Volcanic Mountains are formed when molten rock deep within the earth, erupts, and piles upon the surface. Magma is called lava when it breaks through the earth’s crust. When the ash and lava cools, it builds a cone of rock.

Examples of Volcanic Mountain-

• Mountain St. Helens in North America
• Mountain Pinatubo in the Philippines
• Mountain Kea and Mountain Loa in Hawaii

5. Plateau Mountains- Plateau mountains are not formed by internal activity. Instead, these mountains are formed by erosion. Plateaus are large flat areas that have been pushed above sea level by forces within the Earth, or have been formed by layers of lava.

Example of Plateau Mountain– The mountains in New Zealand

Mountain GK Quiz