Mountain range

A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. These natural formations are found all around the world and are important parts of Earth's landscape. They are often grouped together into larger systems called mountain systems or mountain belts, which share similar shapes, structures, and origins.

Most major mountain ranges on Earth were created by the movement of huge pieces of the Earth's crust called plate tectonics. This process pushes and folds the land upward, forming tall peaks and long chains of mountains. Mountain ranges are not only found on Earth; they also exist on other planets in our Solar System.

Inside a mountain range, the land is often broken up by areas of high ground called highlands, lower points known as mountain passes, and valleys that stretch between the peaks valleys. Each individual mountain in a range might look different and be made from different types 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 Andes alone is an impressive 7,000 kilometres long.

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 play a big role in shaping the climate. When winds blow over mountains, the air gets colder and often drops rain or snow. After passing over the mountain, the air warms up again and becomes drier. This can create dry areas on one side of the mountains, called rain shadows. Big mountain ranges like the Andes help divide continents into different climate zones.

Erosion

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

A good example is the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. As these mountains were rising, a lot of rock was worn away and spread out onto the Great Plains. Rivers are a major cause of erosion, as 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, 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, taller than any mountain on Earth, 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.