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Mountain formation
2Listen and read the text about
mountains. Which type of
mountains are formed when:
a magma erupts from under the
Earth? b magma pushes up under the
Earth, but doesn’t erupt?
c two tectonic plates push
together? d water or wind cut away the
land? e rock is pushed up through a
crack in the Earth? The top layer of the Earth (the crust) is divided into seven
large, independent sections, called tectonic plates. Below the
Earth’s crust is the mantle – a layer of very hot, solid rock with
some semi-molten rock called magma. Most mountains are
formed by the movement of tectonic plates and rising magma.
1 Fold mountains are created when two tectonic plates collide.
Their edges push together and up, causing mountains to be
formed where they meet.
Example: the Himalayas in Asia, the Alps in Europe
Venture Level 2 . Mountain formation, p.255
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2 Fault-block mountains are formed when rock is forced up a
crack in the Earth’s crust. They usually have a steep front and
a sloping back.
Example: the Sierra Nevada Mountains in North America
3 Volcanic mountains are created when magma pushes
through the Earth’s crust and erupts. The material that erupts
falls on the ground and becomes solid. With each future
eruption, this material gradually builds into a mountain.
Example: Mount Fuji in Japan
4 Dome mountains occur when magma pushes up under the
Earth’s crust without erupting. The magma then cools and
hardens, leaving a dome-shaped mountain.
Example: the Adirondack Mountains in North America
Venture Level 2 . Mountain formation, p.255
© Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE
5 Erosional mountains are formed in areas of high, flat land.
Over millions of years, rivers or wind erode the land. The
high ground that is left as a result of the erosion makes
tall mountains.
Example: the Catskill Mountains in the USA
Venture Level 2 . Mountain formation, p.255
© Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE