Introduction
Have you ever wondered how mountains are formed ? Although mountains are formed over millions of years , they are all completely diverse . There are four different types ; Block , Dome , Fold and Plateaus . Block mountains are created when the Earths crust is pulled up in big folds or forced up or down in blocks . Constantly , the weather wears the rocky surface away and leaves the mountains jagged.
Block mountains
To begin to form a block mountain , a slab of land has to break off and then is slowly forced up as two of Earths tectonic plates as they pull apart or push together . The name block mountains comes from the two blocks either side of the mountain that are forced down , while the mountain is forced up . This process is known as being forced down. Did you know , faults are lines where the ground breaks apart to commonly make earthquakes . √ Nicely written.
Dome mountains
Interestingly , dome mountains occur when liquid rock inside the Earth forces the ground above it upward (so the swelling doesn’t break through the surface ) . The force , or pressure , which produces a dome like shape is where the name Dome mountain came from . This mountain is very different from a volcano , since the molten rock does not erupt through the crust just like a volcano , it is a type of mountain .
Fold mountain
Amazingly , fold mountains are the most common type of mountain ! Slowly, making more and more folds , the tectonic plates push forward over the years . The Himalayas in Asia are good examples of fold mountains , they are 50 million years old . Surprisingly, many mountain ranges are older . When the Indian plate collided with the Asian plate , the Himalayas began to form .
Plateaus
Shockingly, Plateaus are flat areas of land which are found in high places . When a mountain is formed , blocks of Earth can drop and lift next to each other to produce a high mountain and a lower plateau . Above sea levels , plateaus can be found . Did you know , the Tibetan Plateau in the Himalayas is the worlds highest plateau , and the largest . It is 16,400 ft above sea level .
