Classification of mountains on the basis of Location, Origin, Formation

 Mountains are landforms that rise above the Earth's surface, characterized by slopes, steep sides, and a pointed top called a peak. They are formed due to tectonic forces, volcanic activity, or erosion. Mountains play a vital role in influencing climate, storing freshwater, and supporting biodiversity."

 William Morris Davis defines mountains as elevated land masses formed by endogenic forces, undergoing a cycle of youth, maturity, and old age through erosion.

Types of Mountains Based on the Period of Origin

• Earth has experienced a total of nine major orogenic movements (mountain-building phases) throughout its geological history.

• Some of these orogenies occurred in the Precambrian era, dating back 3,500 to 600 million years ago, and are among the oldest known.

• The three most recent and geologically significant orogenies are:

• Caledonian Orogeny (around 400 million years ago)

• Hercynian Orogeny (around 300 million years ago)

• Alpine Orogeny (began around 65 million years ago and continues today)

Precambrian Mountains

• Precambrian mountains are the oldest mountain systems on Earth, formed more than 600 million years ago, during the Precambrian era (which spans from the Earth’s formation ~4,600 million years ago to 541 million years ago).

• They were formed through very early orogenic (mountain-building) events, including volcanism, folding, faulting, and crustal uplift.
• examples : Aravali ranges, dharwar ranges etc.

Caledonian Mountains

A mountain-building event that occurred during the late Silurian to early Devonian periods (490 to 390 million years ago).

• These are old fold mountains, now heavily eroded and not as high as young fold mountains like the Himalayas.

• They helped lay the foundation for later orogenies like the Hercynian and Alpine.

• The rocks found here are mainly metamorphic and igneous, indicating deep crustal activity.

• The term "Caledonian" comes from Caledonia, the Roman name for Scotland.
• Examples: Scandinavian mountain(norway and sweden),Appalachian mountains(eastern USA)

Hercynian Mountains

• These mountains originated during the upper Carboniferous to Permian Period in Europe (approximately 340 million years and 225 million years ago).
• Some examples are the mountains of the Vosges and the Black Forest, the Altai, the Tien Shan mountains of Asia, the Ural Mountains, etc.

Alpine Mountains

• Alpine mountains refer to the youngest fold mountains on Earth.

• Formed during the Alpine Orogeny, which began around 65 million years ago (Tertiary period) and continues even today in some regions.

• Formed by the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, and other continental collisions in various regions.
• example: Andes(south America), Rockies (north America),alps, (Europe)Himalayas(India)

Types of mountains on the basis of location

Continental Mountains

Mountains that are located on continental landmasses. These are further divided into:

A. Inland Mountains

• Located deep inside continents, away from the coast.

• Usually associated with ancient fold systems, block mountains, or residual mountains.

Examples:

• Aravalli Range – India

• Vindhya and Satpura ranges – India

• Urals – Russia

• Tian Shan – Central Asia

 B. Coastal Mountains

• Located near or along coastlines.

• Often part of active tectonic zones and may influence monsoon or oceanic patterns.

Examples:

• Western Ghats – India (parallel to the western coast)

• Eastern Ghats – India (eastern coast)

• Andes – South America (Pacific coast)

• Sierra Nevada – USA (near California coast)

• Atlas Mountains – North Africa (near Mediterranean coast)

Oceanic Mountains

• Formed under the ocean, often by volcanic activity or mid-ocean ridges.

• These mountains do not always reach the ocean surface, but when they do, they may form islands.

Examples:

• Mid-Atlantic Ridge – Runs through the Atlantic Ocean

• Hawaiian Islands – Pacific Ocean (formed by hotspot volcanism)

• Seamounts – Submerged volcanic mountains in oceans

• Iceland – Partly above water, sits on Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Types of mountains on the basis of mode of origin

Fold Mountains

• Formation: Formed due to the compression and folding of Earth’s crust when two tectonic plates collide.

• Characteristics: Long, narrow ranges; high elevations; young and tectonically active.

• Examples:

  • Himalayas – India/Nepal

  • Andes – South America

  • Alps – Europe

  • Rockies – North America

Block Mountains (Horst Mountains)

• Formation: Formed by faulting, where large blocks of the crust are uplifted (horsts) or downdropped (grabens).

• Characteristics: Steep sides, flat or tilted tops, fault lines.

• Examples:

  • Vindhya and Satpura ranges – India

  • Black Forest – Germany

  • Sierra Nevada – USA

Volcanic Mountains

• Formation: Built up by lava, ash, and volcanic material from eruptions.

• Characteristics: Cone-shaped, may be active, dormant, or extinct.

• Examples:

  • Mount Fuji – Japan

  • Mount Kilimanjaro – Tanzania

  • Mauna Loa – Hawaii (USA)

  • Barren Island – India (Andaman Sea)

Residual Mountains (Relict Mountains)

• Formation: Formed from weathering and erosion of older mountains or high plateaus.

• Characteristics: Isolated hills or ranges, rounded tops, stable.

• Examples:

  • Aravalli Hills – India

  • Nilgiri Hills – India

  • Sierra – Spain

Plateau Mountains

• Formation: Formed due to uplift of large flat blocks of the Earth's crust or volcanic lava flow, later shaped by erosion.

• Characteristics: Broad flat-topped regions that may resemble mountains.

• Examples:

  • Tibetan Plateau – World's highest plateau (Himalayan uplift)

  • Deccan Plateau (edges) – India

  • Colorado Plateau – USA

Types of Mountains – Practice Questions

1. UPSC-style MCQ

Q. Which of the following mountain ranges is a Block Mountain?

A. Himalayas
B. Satpura Range
C. Western Ghats
D. Andes

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2. UPSC Prelims Practice Question

Q. Consider the following statements:

1. Fold mountains are formed due to the compressional force acting on sedimentary rocks.

2. The Aravalli Hills are an example of young fold mountains.

3. The Himalayas are older than the Western Ghats.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

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3. Assertion–Reason Type (UPSC Format)

Assertion (A): The Himalayas are classified as young fold mountains.
Reason (R): They were formed during the Tertiary period by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.

A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
C. A is true, but R is false
D. A is false, but R is true

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4. Match the Following (Mountain Type – Example)

Type of Mountain	Example
A. Fold Mountain	1. Aravalli Range
B. Block Mountain	2. Sierra Nevada
C. Volcanic Mountain	3. Mount Kilimanjaro
D. Residual Mountain	4. Himalayas

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