Major Mountains of the World

Major Mountains of the World is an important topic in World Geography, focusing on the highest and most significant mountain ranges across different continents. These mountains influence climate, river systems, biodiversity, and human settlements. Understanding their distribution, formation, and geographical significance is essential for studying physical geography and environmental patterns globally.

Mountains

• Mountains come under the secondary category of relief features on the earth which are formed by the internal forces of the earth, which are called constructive forces.
• The topographic features which are very high [minimum 500 meters high] from the surrounding surface, whose peak is narrow and slope is steep, are called mountains.

Types and classification of mountains‒

• Mountains are classified into many forms based on their age, location, structure, texture, etc.

Classification of mountains based on their origin

Fold Mountain –

• Formed by compressional forces that fold surface rocks.
• Anticline = upfold,  Syncline = downfold.
• Rapid geological movements uplift these folds to form mountains.
• Generally arc-shaped in structure.
• Mostly composed of sedimentary rocks with granite intrusions along their length.
• Formed from geosynclinal sediments under lateral compression.
• The major folded mountain ranges include the Himalaya and Karakoram in Asia, the Alps and Caucasus in Europe, the Atlas in Africa, the Rockies in North America, the Andes in South America, and the Great Dividing Range in Australia.

Dome Shaped Mountain

• The hot magma boiling inside the earth tries its best to reach the surface. When this magma is unable to come out, the surface rocks rise in a dome-shaped form.
• The Henry and Uinta mountains in the Utah state of North America are Dome-shaped mountains.

Accumulated Mountain

• These mountains are formed by the deposited material and debris collected in the form of large piles by wind, rivers, glaciers, waves and volcanoes.
• Fujiyama of Japan, Vesuvius of Italy and Kilimanjaro of Africa are volcanic mountains.

Faulted or Block mountains

• Formed when crustal blocks move along parallel faults.
• The middle block rises or side blocks sink, creating a block mountain.
• Also called fault-raised mountains or fault ledges.
• Have steep slopes on both sides known as fault scarps (fault uprights).
• Examples: Black Forest (Germany), Satpura (India), Vosges (France–Germany), Wasatch Range (USA), Salt Range (Pakistan), Sierra Nevada (California).

Residual Mountain

• Residual mountains are formed when hard rocks resist erosion while surrounding areas are denuded.
• They remain as elevated landforms after rivers and other agents reduce plateaus to plains.
• Formed by long-term denudation processes.
• Examples: Aravali, Satpura, Western Ghats (India), Monadnock (USA).

Classification of mountains according to height

Prof. Finch has presented this division –

1. Higher altitude Mountain – Mountains more than 6000 feet or 2000 metres high.
2. Normal altitude Mountain – These mountains are generally 4500 to 6000 feet or 1500 to 2000 metres high.
3. Lesser altitude Mountain – Height between 3000-4500 feet or 1000 to 1500 metres.
4. Very Less altitude Mountain – These mountains are generally 2000-3000 feet or 700 to 1000 metres high.

Classification of mountains on the basis of mountain building events (On the basis of age)

Mountains of the Pre-Cambrian period

• Oldest mountains formed about 4 billion–570 million years ago.
• Mainly composed of metamorphic rocks.
• Extensive erosion and weathering have left them partly eroded today.
• Examples: Aravalli Hills (India), Laurentian, Algoman, Caledonian (North America), Fenno-Scandian Mountains (Europe), North-West Highlands of Scotland.

Caledonian Mountains –

• Formed during the Silurian–Devonian periods of the Paleozoic era (about 500–360 million years ago).
• Named after Caledonia (Scotland), hence called Caledonian Fold Mountains.
• Examples: Patagonia (South America), Appalachian Mountains (North America), Mountains of Scotland and Ireland (Sperrin) (Europe), Vindhya, Mahadeo, Satpura (India), Brazilian Highlands / Brasilides (South America).

Hercynian Mountains –

• Formed during the Late Paleozoic era—Carboniferous to Permian periods (about 280–240 million years ago).
• Associated with Altai, Variscan, and Armorican orogenies (~220 million years ago).
• Named after the Harz Mountains (Germany), hence called Hercynian Mountains.
• Examples: Appalachians (North America); Vosges, Black Forest, Bohemian Massif, Pennines (Europe); Armorican and Central Massif (France); Frankenwald (Southern Wales); Altai, Tien Shan, Nanshan, Khangan, Sayan, Gobi (Asia); Eastern Cordillera (Australia).

Alpine Mountains –

• Formed in the Cenozoic era (Tertiary period), about 6.5 crore years ago.
• Known as Alpine or Tertiary mountains, named after the Alps of Europe.
• Examples: Rockies (North America), Andes (South America), Alps, Balkans, Pyrenees, Apennines (Europe), Atlas (Africa), Himalayas, Elburz, Kunlun, Karakoram (Asia), Arakan Yoma (Myanmar).

North America

North America: Mountain Ranges/Peaks

South America

Europe

Africa

Asia

Australia

Antarctica