Mountain range

A mountain range or hill range is a line of mountains or hills linked together by high land. These natural features are found everywhere around the world and are important parts of Earth's landscape. They are sometimes grouped into bigger systems called mountain systems or mountain belts. These bigger systems have similar shapes, structures, and origins.

Most big mountain ranges were made by the movement of huge pieces of Earth's crust, called plate tectonics. This movement pushes and folds the land up, creating tall peaks and long chains of mountains. Mountain ranges are not just on Earth; they can also be found on other planets in our Solar System.

Inside a mountain range, the land is often split by high areas called highlands, lower points known as mountain passes, and valleys that run between the peaks valleys. Each mountain in a range can look different and be made from different kinds of rocks, depending on how it was formed.

Major ranges

Many of Earth's tall mountain ranges are found in two big areas: the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Alpide belt. The Pacific Ring of Fire has mountains such as the Andes in South America, the North American Cordillera, the Aleutian Range, and stretches all the way to Japan, China, and New Zealand.

The Alpide belt runs across southern Eurasia, from Java to the Iberian Peninsula in Western Europe. It includes famous ranges like the Himalayas, home to Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain. Other ranges in this belt include the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, Alborz, Caucasus, and the Alps.

Climate

Mountain ranges help shape the climate. When wind blows over mountains, the air gets colder and often rains or snows. After the wind passes the mountain, the air warms up again and becomes drier. This can make one side of the mountain dry, called a rain shadow. Big mountain ranges like the Andes help split continents into different climate zones.

Erosion

Mountain ranges are worn down by natural forces called erosion. This process fills nearby valleys with dirt and sand, which becomes rock over time. Erosion continues even as mountains rise, slowly turning them into smaller hills and flat areas.

A good example is the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. As these mountains rose, rock was worn away and spread out onto the Great Plains. Rivers cause a lot of erosion because they carry away soil and rocks, shaping the land over many years.

Extraterrestrial "Montes"

Further information: List of tallest mountains in the Solar System

Mountains can also be found on other planets and moons in our Solar System. They are often formed by events like impacts. Some of these, called "Montes," look a bit like mountain ranges on Earth. For example, Saturn's moon Titan and Pluto have chains of mountains made mostly of ice, such as the Mithrim Montes and Doom Mons on Titan, and the Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes on Pluto. Other planets, like Venus and Mars, also have rocky mountain ranges. Venus has the Maxwell Montes, and Mars has the Tartarus Montes. Jupiter's moon Io has mountain ranges formed by tectonic processes, including the Boösaule, Dorian, Hi'iaka, and Euboea Montes.