Mountains can be characterized in several ways. Some mountains are volcanoes and can be characterized by the type of lava and eruptive history. Other mountains are shaped by glacial processes and can be characterized by their shape. Finally, many mountains can be characterized by the type of rock that make up their composition.

Types of volcanoes

• Volcanic caldera or supervolcano
• Cinder cone
• Complex volcano
• Cryovolcano
• Fissure vent
• Lava dome
• Monogenetic volcanic field
• Mud volcano
• Pancake dome
• Polygenetic volcanic field
• Pyroclastic cone
• Pyroclastic shield
• Shield volcano
• Stratovolcano (also known as a Composite volcano)
• Subglacial volcano
• Submarine volcano
• Somma volcano
• Tuya
• Volcanic field
• Volcanic plug

Types of rock

• Igneous (see types of volcanoes, above)
• Metamorphic
• Sedimentary

Other Types of Mountains

• Fold
• Fault-Block
• Volcanic
• Monadnock

See also

• List of rock types
• Batholith, Intrusion, Laccolith