The Mountain Landform

The most common type of mountains arise where the Earth’s crust experienced folding
or faulting, such as the Canadian Rockies and the Alps. Fault-block mountains, such as
California’s Sierra Nevada, are formed when Earth’s crust cracked and was pushed
upward. Volcanic mountains form when hot magma from deep in Earth’s interior breaks
through the crust and builds up on the surface, whether quietly or explosively.

The Flats: Plains

Most of the Earth's surface consists of low and high plains, defined by a mostly level
profile that ranges from gently rolling to completely flat. Such landforms are common in
areas of extensive sediment accumulation, as in the “floodplains” and deltas of large
rivers and the Atlantic-Gulf Coastal Plain of the United States.
 High Expanses: Plateaus

Plateaus can be thought of as elevated plains – that is, elevated flattish areas –
bordered on at least one side by lower-lying land and often edged by fairly abrupt
scarps. These terrain features may derive from very old mountains eroded down over
time, while others form by block-faulting.

Valleys, Canyons and Caves

The erosion of rivers and the moving ice bodies called glaciers help sculpt valleys, often
in combination with faulting. Glaciers flowing down drainages tend to sculpt U-shaped
valleys; such glacially carved troughs often come to support lakes.
 The Landforms of Deserts

The ecological landscapes known as deserts, defined by very arid conditions of low
precipitation and high evaporation, include plentiful mountains, plains, plateaus and
canyons that include distinctive sub-varieties of desert landforms. These include gravel
plains, sand dunes and dry lakebeds. Many natural factors are responsible for the
creation of deserts, particularly current and past climatic conditions.

Hill

A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a
distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a
particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit
 Canyon

A canyon is a very steep and narrow valley. Natural elements such as water and plate
tectonics can all contribute to the making of a canyon. Plate tectonics are often
responsible for the formation of mountains and plateaus, and from there, water does the
rest of the work. Sometimes, a river forges a path that cuts through mountains or
plateaus.

Volcano

A volcano is a place on the Earth’s surface where materials from within its core can
escape. Often, a volcano takes the shape of a mountain. When you think of a mountain,
you probably don’t think of weak rock. However, the surface of a volcano is somewhat
thin! This allows magma to break through, becoming lava once it crosses the surface.