Expert: Ralph Salier-Hellendag - 11/29/2004

Question
How does dome mountains formed?

Answer
Hi Vivian,

Dome mountians come in two forms:

1) a volcanic up thrust which pushes up a dome shaped mountian.  If this should erupt then it becomes a volcano.  A new dome may form as magma pushes materials into the caldera and may fill the crater and form a new "peak"

2) tall mountians of considerable age can be heavily erroded.  Often Ice in the form of glaciers will greatly wear away mountians into soft dome shaped hills.  The  Uware mountians of North and South Carolina are just such mountians.  These ancient mountians are now mearly dome shaped hills.