Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Fault-block Mountains
A mountain is tall and rocky land that rises high above the land around it. Mountains often have pointed tops and steep sides. They are the Earth's most majestic landforms. Mountains are formed in different ways.
The Earth's surface or crust is made of huge pieces called plates. The Earth's plates fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The heat inside the Earth causes the plates to move. The plates have cracks in them called faults. The Earth's crust can move along these faults. This is what causes earthquakes. Because of the heat and pressure inside the Earth's mantle, blocks of rock along faults can be pushed up and tilted. Over a long period of time, they can be pushed high enough to make mountains. Mountains formed in this way are called fault-block mountains (sometimes just fault mountains).
