A mountains appearance depends greatly on its age. The youngest mountain chains on the planet (the Alps, Himalayas, Rockies, Andes, Caucasus), shaped by recent tectonic shocks have a very marked relief, with steep slopes and sharp peaks. Most of these mountains have not finished rising, as slow-moving lithospheric plates continue to deform the landscape. Old mountains (the Urals, Appalachians, Great Dividing Range in Australia, Drakensberg Mountains) are less rugged: they have been smoothed by erosion, which has taken material from the slopes and deposited it in the lowlands.

A mountains appearance depends greatly on its age. The youngest mountain chains on the planet (the Alps, Himalayas, Rockies, Andes, Caucasus), shaped by recent tectonic shocks have a very marked relief, with steep slopes and sharp peaks. Most of these mountains have not finished rising, as slow-moving lithospheric plates continue to deform the landscape. Old mountains (the Urals, Appalachians, Great Dividing Range in Australia, Drakensberg Mountains) are less rugged: they have been smoothed by erosion, which has taken material from the slopes and deposited it in the lowlands.

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