A mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area, usually in the form of a peak. Not all mountains are formed in the same way. One kind is formed by lava shooting out of the earth. This is a volcanic mountain. Another mountain can be formed by cracking and shifting of the earth. This is called a black mountain. A third type of formation is folded mountain. This is formed by cracked and shifted rocks pile up.