The formation of mountains

How mountains are formed

1. The Formation of
Mountains

2. The structure of the
Earth

3. The Earth’s major
plates

4. Convection
currents

5. Fold mountains

6. Fold Mountains
This is the most common type of
mountain. It’s called ‘fold’ because
when the tectonic plates collide, the
edges crumple as they are pushed
together  and the rock of the Earth’s
surface is pushed up to create
mountains. The Himalayas are fold
mountains.

7. Fold mountain rock
formation
Zagros Mountains © Stefan Jürgenson , Flickr

8. Fold Mountain

9. Fault block mountains

10. Fault Block Mountains
When cracks in the Earth’s surface
open up, large chucks of rock can be
pushed up while others are pushed
down. This creates mountains with a
long slope on one side, and a sharp
drop on the other. The Sierra Nevada
mountains in California, USA are fault-
block mountains.

11. Fault block mountains
Sierra Nevada from the east © Mary, Flickr

12. Fault Block Mountains
Sierra Nevada

13. Dome mountains

14. Dome Mountains
Dome mountains are smooth and round-
looking. They are formed when magma
from in between the Earth’s crust and
mantle gets pushed up, but doesn’t ever
flow out – so, all the magma makes the
land bubble up like a balloon. Bear Butte
in South Dakota, USA is an example of a
dome mountain.

15. Dome mountains
Mount Rushmore © Flickr, Paul Weimer
Bear Butte © Flickr, bl0ndeeo2

16. Volcanic Mountains
Volcanic mountains are formed
around volcanoes, which are vents in
the Earth’s top layer that let through
magma from between the crust and
the mantle layers. Mountains are
made of ash and cooled lava. Mauna
Loa in Hawaii, USA is the largest
active volcano in the world.

17. Formation of
Volcanoes

18. Volcanic Mountain

19. Plateau Mountains
Plateau mountains are different from the other
mountain types because they haven’t formed
because of rock or magma being pushed up.
Instead, they’ve formed because of materials
being taken away through erosion, which has
left deep valleys or gorges next to high cliffs.
The Columbia Plateau in the Northwest USA
is an example of this type of mountain.

20. Plateau