Hill is an elevation of the ground that has a distinct summit. It has much less surface area than a mountain and is lower in elevation. Hills rise less than 1,000 feet (305 meters) above the surrounding area. Mountains always exceed that height. However, a hill is not simply a small mountain. It is formed in a considerably different way.
Hills may be classified according to the way they were formed and the kinds of materials they are made of. There are two types, constructional and destructional. Constructional hills are created by a build-up of rock debris or sand deposited by glaciers and wind. Oval-shaped landforms called drumlins and sand dunes are examples of this type. Destructional hills are shaped by the deep erosion of areas that were raised by disturbances in Earth’s crust. Such hills may consist of limestone overlying layers of more easily eroded rock.
See also Butte .
