Mountains are commonly classified into five main types, based on their formation process.
- Fold Mountains
- Volcanic Mountains
- Block Mountains
- Dome Mountains
- Residual Mountains
Types of Mountains
1. Fold Mountains
Fold mountains are the most common type of mountains. Nearly all the famous mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas and the Alps, are examples of fold mountains. These mountains form when two tectonic plates collide at a convergent boundary.
The collision creates numerous folds in the Earth’s crust. The folds resemble the wrinkles of a tablecloth. The upfolds are known as anticlines and the downfolds are known as synclines.
2. Volcanic Mountains
Volcanic mountains are formed from lava and tephra that erupt from a volcanic vent. Their size increases after each eruption as new material accumulates around the vent. Mount Fuji in Japan is a classic example of a volcanic mountain.
3. Block Mountains
Block mountains form due to the faults created in the Earth’s crust by the tension and compression forces. The tension forces pull the crust creating faults. If the block between the two faults does not subside while the crust on either side of the block subsides, a block mountain is formed.
Compression forces on the other hand create rift valleys or graben.
Rift valleys also form between two horsts.
4. Dome Mountains
Dome mountains form when magma pushes the Earth’s crust upward without erupting onto the surface. The magma creates a bulge or dome in the crust. Over time, the magma cools and solidifies, and the overlying rock may erode, eventually exposing the dome-shaped hard rock. Navajo Mountain in the USA is an example of a Dome mountain.
(Also read: Major mountain ranges in the world)
5. Residual Mountains
Residual mountains form after years of denudation of the Earth’s crust by the wind, moving water, erosion, weathering, etc. Pieces of land hard enough to resist denudation transform into residual mountains. Mount Monadnock in the USA is an example of a residual mountain.
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