Geography

Mountains:
Mountains are of 3 types. They are volcanic mountains, fold mountains and block mountains. Volcanic mountains are formed when one plate is pushed below another plate or hotspot or mid-ocean ridge. Based on activity volcanic mountains can be classified as active, dormant or extinct. Based on structure, volcanic mountains can be classified as Shield, Cinder and Stratovolcano (Composite). Cinder cone is a conical hill formed from fragments of volcano that have fallen around the volcanic vent. It mostly has bowl-shaped crater at the summit. Example is Mount Etna, Italy. Shield is formed by low-viscosity lava. It can be very wide. It is most commonly found in Hawaii. Example is Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Stratovolcano is formed by ash, lava and other materials. Very dangerous. Example is Mount Vesuvius, Italy. Fold mountains are formed when two plates collide. Examples of fold mountains are the Himalayas, the Andes and the Alps. Block mountains are caused by faults. Block mountains are formed when rocks on one side of a fault rise relative to the other. Examples of block mountains are Sierra Nevada, USA and The Vosges, France.