Glossary
Find a term from the labs, understand the process behind it, and see how it appears in the landscape. Each entry connects an explanation with a real observation and a model you can explore.
Term
A landform with substantial elevation and relief relative to its surroundings. There is no single globally accepted height separating mountains from hills.
The Himalaya from the ISS: crust shortened and thickened as India collided with Eurasia.
Explore further with USGS water glossary · USGS volcano glossary · NPS glacial geology · NASA Earth facts. Photograph acknowledgements are collected on the Image credits page.