A mountain is a high part of the Earth’s crust with steep sides and a lot of bedrock that is exposed. Despite varying definitions, a mountain may differ from a plateau in that it typically has a smaller summit area and is higher than a hill, typically rising at least 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the ground below. The majority of mountains are part of mountain ranges, with a few isolated summits.

Mountains are framed through structural powers, disintegration, or volcanism, which follow up on time sizes of up to huge number of years. Through weathering, slumping, and other forms of mass wasting, as well as river and glacier erosion, mountains gradually level out after mountain building stops.

At a similar latitude, mountain climates are colder than those at sea level. The mountain ecosystems are significantly impacted by these colder climates: Animals and plants vary depending on elevation. Mountains are typically used for resource extraction, such as mining and logging, in addition to recreation, such as mountain climbing and skiing, because of their less hospitable climate and terrain.

Mount Everest, located in the Asiatic Himalayas, is the tallest mountain in the world. Its summit is 8,850 meters (29,035 feet) above mean sea level. Olympus Mons on Mars is the planet’s highest mountain, standing at 21,171 meters (69,459 feet).