Mountains are formed through a process called tectonic activity. This occurs when the Earth's tectonic plates move, collide, or separate. There are three main ways mountains can form:
-
Convergent Boundaries: When two tectonic plates collide, they can fold and push up the Earth's crust, creating mountain ranges. An example of this is the Himalayas, formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.
-
Divergent Boundaries: When two tectonic plates move apart, magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap, creating new crust and forming volcanic mountains. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of this process.
-
Hotspots: Hotspots are areas where magma from the mantle rises to the Earth's surface, creating a volcano. Over time, as the volcano erupts repeatedly, it can form a mountain. The Hawaiian Islands were formed by a hotspot in the Pacific Plate.
These processes can take millions of years to form mountains as we see them today.
