Types
Classified by the geological processes that shape them, there are five major types of mountains:
- Fold mountains
- Fold mountains are the most common type of mountains. They are formed due to collision of two plates, causing folding of the Earth's crust. Examples of fold mountains are the Himalayas of Asia and the Alps in Europe.
- Fault-Block mountains
- As the name suggests, fault-block mountains, or fault mountains, are formed when blocks of rock materials slide along faults in the Earth's crust. There are two types of block mountains, lifted and tilted. Lifted mountains have two steep sides, whereas tilted mountains have one steep side and a gently sloping side. The Sierra Nevada of the western United States is an example of a tilted fault-block mountain range.
- Volcanic mountains
- Volcanic mountains are formed due to volcanic eruptions where magma piles up on the surface of the Earth. Examples of volcanoes include Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. Inactive or extinct volcanic mountain include Mount Elbrus in Russia, Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia, Cotopaxi in Ecuador, and Mount Aconcagua in Argentina.
- Dome mountains
- Dome mountains, named for their shape, are formed when the hot magma rises from the mantle and uplifts the overlying sedimentary layer of the Earth's crust. In the process, the magma is not erupted, but it cools down and forms the core of the mountain. An example of a dome mountain is Navajo Mountain in the United States.
- Plateau mountains
- Plateau mountains are formed erosion of an uplifted plateau. Examples of plateau mountains are in the Adirondack Mountains in the United States.
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