Mountain

A mountain is a prominent natural elevation of Earth's surface that rises substantially above its surroundings. Mountains vary widely in height, shape, and origin.

Plate tectonics: The theory that Earth's outer shell consists of moving plates whose interactions shape the planet's surface. Colliding and separating plates create many mountain belts.
Topography: The arrangement of natural and human-made features on Earth's surface. Mountains are prominent features within the broader pattern of surface relief.
Orographic precipitation: Precipitation produced when moist air rises, cools, and condenses over elevated terrain. Mountain slopes force air upward, creating wet windward sides and dry rain shadows.
Hill: A natural elevation of land that is lower or less steep than a mountain, though definitions vary. The distinction is useful, but no universal height threshold separates hills from mountains.
Orogeny: The processes by which tectonic deformation and uplift form mountain belts. This names the long-term mountain-building processes driven by crustal deformation.
Elevation: The height of a location above a reference level, usually mean sea level. Elevation measures a mountain's height relative to sea level.
Rain shadow: A dry region on the leeward side of a mountain range, sheltered from moist winds. This climate pattern shows how mountains redistribute rainfall across regions.
Plateau: An elevated area of relatively flat land, often bounded by steep slopes. A plateau may be high like a mountain but has a broad, level summit.
Volcanism: The processes by which magma rises through a planetary crust and erupts or solidifies underground. Repeated eruptions can build volcanic mountains above the surrounding terrain.
Relief (geography): The variation in elevation across a region or landform. A mountain stands out through its local relief above nearby terrain.

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