14.3.3 Dome mountains Dome mountains are named after their shape. They are formed when molten magma in the Earth’s crust pushes its way towards the surface. The magma cools before it can erupt, and it then becomes very hard. The rock layers over the hardened magma are warped upwards to form the dome. Over time these erode, leaving behind the hard granite rock underneath (see FIGURE6 ).
FIGURE6 Very hot magma pushes towards the surface to form dome mountains.
Rock layers
Magma
FIGURE7 Ben Nevis in Scotland is an example of a dome mountain.
TOPIC14 Geomorphological processes and hazards
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