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Mountain, California

Erosional Landform Pictures

From Andrew Alden, About.com

Mountains are landforms at least 300 meters (1000 feet) high with steep and rocky sides and a small top, or summit. (more below)
Of coursePhoto courtesy Craig Adkins, all rights reserved
Cave Mountain, in the Mojave Desert, is a good example of an erosional mountain. The 300-meter rule is a convention; sometimes people limit mountains to 600 meters. Another criterion sometimes applied is that a mountain is something worthy of being given a name. I think it depends on the kind of country—in the Alps, for instance, quite a substantial peak may not be singled out for a name whereas in Kansas it very well might.

Volcanoes are also mountains, but they form by deposition.

Visit the Gallery of Peaks

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