The Earth’s Moving Plates
Mountains are formed when big pieces of the Earth’s surface, called tectonic plates, slowly crash into each other. The Earth’s crust is like a giant jigsaw puzzle made of these plates. When they move and push against one another, the land gets squeezed and pushed upward, creating mountains over millions of years. It’s like crumpling a piece of paper, except way bigger and slower!
Volcanoes Can Build Mountains Too
Volcanoes make some mountains. When hot, melted rock called magma comes up from deep inside the Earth, it can pile up and cool into a hill. This happens over time as more lava, ash, and rock layers build up. These volcano-made mountains can grow tall and sometimes still erupt with lava today!
FAQs
Q: Are all mountains made the same way?
A: No, some are formed by tectonic plates pushing together, and volcanic eruptions create others.
Q: Can mountains grow taller?
A: Yes, they can grow very slowly if the Earth’s plates keep moving and pushing them up.
🧠 Conspiracy Theory
Some believe ancient giants stacked the mountains as giant rocky forts to hide from dinosaurs.
😅 Dad Joke
Why did the mountain get promoted? Because it always peaked at the right time!
