How Many Types of Mountains are There

Introduction

A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust that often has steep sides that expose a significant amount of exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain is often taller than a hill, rising normally at least 300 metres above the surrounding terrain, and differs from a plateau in having a constrained peak area.

A geographic area is shielded from the cold winds by mountains. Mountains give rise to rivers, which are used for irrigation and electricity production. The wood for houses and herbs comes from some of the forests located in the mountains. Numerous mineral resources are available in mountains. Mountains are essential to the travel and tourism sector.

Mountain formations are divided into 5 categories

1. Volcanic Mountains

2. Fold Mountains

3. Block Mountains

4. Residual Mountains

5. Dome Mountains

Volcanic Mountains

Volcanoes are created when tectonic plates shift, and mountains are then created when volcanoes erupt. Because the ejected material from a shield volcano, which is mainly basalt, has a low viscosity, the cone is gently sloping. The typical example, with a slope of 4°–6°, is Mauna Loa.

Due to the higher viscosity of the material released during eruptions, the composite volcano, also known as a stratovolcano, has a steeper rising cone (33°–40°), and its eruptions are more powerful and less frequent than those of shield volcanoes.

A band surrounding the Pacific Ocean is home to the majority of volcanic mountains. They are referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire together. Shield volcanoes or stratovolcanoes are the most well-known volcanic mountains. Vesuvius and Mount Fuji are examples of stratovolcanoes, whereas Mauna Loa in Hawaii is an example of a shield volcano.

Fold Mountains

Fold mountains are created when the tectonic plates of the Earth are forced together. At these interacting, compressing boundaries, rocks and debris are bent and folded into rocky outcrops, hills, mountains, and entire mountain ranges.

Fold mountains and continental crust are frequently linked. They are formed at convergent plate borders and are also known as compression zones or continental collision zones. Tectonic plate collisions occur at convergent plate borders where the limits of the plates meet. A group of stresses focused on a single location in a rock or rock formation is referred to as compression.

Tectonic activity causes crustal compression at the leading edge of the crust development at a compression zone. Due to this, the majority of fold mountains are located at or near the edges of continental plate borders. Compared to rocks found in the heart of the continental crust, rocks on the edge of the crust are frequently weaker and less stable. They might be more prone to folding and warping as a result.

Sedimentary rock and metamorphic rock, both of which were created under intense pressure and at relatively moderate temperatures, make up the majority of fold mountains. Where ductile materials, like salt, are present in an underlying layer, many-fold mountains can also form.

Fold mountains include the Himalayas, the Rockies, the Alps, the Aravallis, and others.

Block Mountains

Faults in the crust, which are planes where rocks have slid past one another to create "block mountains," are responsible for the formation of block mountains. When the rocks on one side of a fault are higher than those on the other, a mountain may result. Horsts, sometimes known as block mountains, are elevated blocks. The Great African Rift Valley (which has a graben valley floor), the Rhine Valley (also a graben valley floor) in Germany, the Vosges mountain range in France, the Sierra Nevada in the United States, and the Harz mountains in Germany are all examples of block mountains.

Residual Mountains

Remains of previously existent mountains that have endured extensive weathering and erosion are known as residual mountains. The remaining mountains were eroded by rivers, glaciers, wind, etc. to form their present shape. The agents rapidly erode the soft rocks at the mountain's summit, leaving the hard rocks in their wake. These hard rocks are referred to as residual mountains. Examples of residual mountains are the Scottish Highlands, the Scandinavian Mountains, and the Balkan Peninsula's land mass.

Dome Mountains

When a significant volume of magma—melted rock—pushes up through the earth's crust, dome mountains are created. Because the magma beneath dome mountains isn't pressing as hard, they aren't as tall as folded mountains. Over time, the lava cools to become cold, hard rock. The result is a dome-shaped mountain

Conclusion

A landform that towers over its surroundings is a mountain. It typically has steep slopes, a rounded or pointed summit, and is taller than a hill. Mountains are typically found in groups. These are very important to our environment and these are of mainly 5 types.