Exploratour - The Surface of the Earth
Mountain Ranges
A map of the surface of the Earth also reveals tall mountains and volcanoes. Most mountains and volcanoes do not exist in isolation, but come in groups. Some of the biggest mountain ranges are shown in this map.
Mountains are evidence of the deformation of the Earth's crust. The pressure of one plate pushing against another results in the deforming and folding of the earth. The result can be a vertical lifting of sections of folded earth and the formation of mountain ranges. As can be seen in the map, the biggest mountain ranges are often along the edges of the plates. Mountain ranges can also be found in regions which used to be the edges of the plates in earlier ages of the Earth.