This page lists 34 geological features that start with H, from “Hanging valley” to “Hoodoo Rocks (Goblin Valley)”. The list covers glacial landforms, volcanoes, mountain ranges, hot springs, famous canyons, and a few rocks and minerals. These features help you study how the Earth changes, plan trips to national parks, and understand the landscapes around you.
Geological features are the natural landforms, rocks, and minerals that make up the Earth’s surface and interior. Some are famous around the world, like the Himalayas, which hold the highest peak on the planet, Mount Everest.
Below you’ll find the table with the geological feature, region, characteristics, and description for each entry.
Geological Feature: The name of each landform, rock, or mineral, so you can quickly find the one you want to learn about.
Region: The place or places where you can find the feature, which helps you locate it on a map or plan a visit.
Characteristics: A short set of key traits, such as how the feature formed or what type it is, for a quick overview.
Description: A plain explanation of what the feature is, how it formed, and any notable facts, in a few easy sentences.
Geological features
| Geological Feature | Region | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Hanging valley | Glaciated mountain regions worldwide | Glacial, tributary valley |
| Hoodoo | Southwestern United States, Turkey, Canada | Rock pillar, erosional |
| Horn | Alps, Himalayas, Rocky Mountains | Glacial, pyramidal peak |
| Hot spring | Worldwide, including Iceland, Japan and Yellowstone | Geothermal, heated groundwater |
| Hotspot | Hawaii, Yellowstone, Iceland | Volcanic, mantle plume |
| Hogback | Western United States, Colorado Front Range | Ridge, steeply tilted strata |
| Horst | Basin and Range, Rhine Valley, East Africa | Fault block, uplifted |
| Hummock | Glaciated and permafrost landscapes worldwide | Small mound, uneven terrain |
| Hydrothermal vent | Mid-ocean ridges, deep ocean floor | Underwater, mineral-rich fluids |
| Hawaiian Islands | Central Pacific Ocean | Volcanic island chain, hotspot origin |
| Hawaiian eruption | Hawaii, Iceland | Volcanic, effusive |
| Hot desert | Sahara, Arabian Peninsula, Australia | Arid, extreme heat |
| Hanging glacier | Alps, Himalayas, Andes | Glacial ice, steep mountainside |
| Headland | Coastlines worldwide | Coastal, rocky promontory |
| Horseshoe Falls | Niagara Falls, Canada and United States | Waterfall, curved crest |
| Half Dome | Yosemite National Park, California | Granite dome, glacially sculpted |
| Hell’s Canyon | Idaho and Oregon, United States | Deep gorge, Snake River |
| Hualalai | Hawaii, United States | Volcano, shield |
| Hekla | Iceland | Volcano, stratovolcano |
| Huascaran | Peruvian Andes | Mountain, tropical peak |
| Himalayas | South Asia, from Pakistan to Bhutan | Mountain range, fold mountains |
| Hindu Kush | Afghanistan and Pakistan | Mountain range, rugged |
| Harz Mountains | Northern Germany | Mountain range, ancient uplift |
| High Plains | Central United States | Plateau, grassland |
| Hudson Bay | Northern Canada | Large inland sea, shallow |
| Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain | Northern Pacific Ocean | Underwater volcanoes, hotspot track |
| Hadean zircon | Jack Hills, Western Australia | Ancient mineral crystal |
| Hornfels | Contact zones around igneous intrusions | Metamorphic rock, fine-grained |
| Hematite | Worldwide, including Lake Superior region | Iron oxide mineral, red-brown |
| Halite | Salt flats and evaporite basins worldwide | Mineral, rock salt |
| Hypabyssal intrusion | Worldwide | Igneous, shallow depth |
| Horn Peak (Hörnli ridge) | Swiss Alps | Ridge, mountain route |
| Hot pot | Rotorua, New Zealand | Geothermal, bubbling pool |
| Hoodoo Rocks (Goblin Valley) | Utah, United States | Sandstone formations |
Descriptions
Hanging valley
A smaller valley that ends abruptly high above a larger main valley, usually because a glacier carved the main valley deeper. Streams often leave it as waterfalls.
Hoodoo
A tall, thin spire of rock left standing after wind and water erode softer surrounding stone. Many have a harder cap rock balanced on top.
Horn
A sharp, pyramid-shaped mountain peak formed when several glaciers erode a summit from different sides. The Matterhorn is the best-known example.
Hot spring
A spring where groundwater heated by the Earth’s interior flows to the surface. Temperatures range from pleasantly warm to near boiling.
Hotspot
A fixed area of unusually hot mantle that melts through the crust above it. As plates drift over it, chains of volcanoes such as the Hawaiian Islands form.
Hogback
A long, narrow, sharp-crested ridge made of steeply tilted resistant rock layers. It looks like the back of a hog from a distance.
Horst
A block of crust raised between two normal faults. Horsts form mountains or ridges and often sit beside down-dropped valleys called grabens.
Hummock
A small rounded hill or mound, often formed by glacial deposits, frost action or vegetation. Hummocky ground is uneven and bumpy.
Hydrothermal vent
An opening in the seafloor where superheated, mineral-rich water pours out. Vents support unusual ecosystems that live without sunlight.
Hawaiian Islands
A chain of volcanic islands built by a stationary hotspot under the Pacific plate. Mauna Loa and Kilauea are among the most active volcanoes on Earth.
Hawaiian eruption
A gentle type of volcanic eruption that pours out runny lava rather than exploding violently. It builds broad shield volcanoes over time.
Hot desert
A dry landscape with very high daytime temperatures and little rainfall, often shaped by wind into dunes and rocky plains.
Hanging glacier
A glacier that clings to a steep mountain slope and ends at a cliff edge. Chunks of ice sometimes break off and fall below.
Headland
A high point of land that juts out into the sea, usually with steep cliffs. Headlands form because they are made of harder rock than neighboring bays.
Horseshoe Falls
The largest of the three waterfalls at Niagara Falls, named for its curved shape. It carries most of the river’s flow over a drop of about 188 feet.
Half Dome
A famous granite monolith in Yosemite with a smooth, rounded top and a sheer vertical face on one side. It rises nearly 4,800 feet above the valley floor.
Hell’s Canyon
A deep gorge carved by the Snake River, the deepest river gorge in North America. It cuts about 7,900 feet below the Seven Devils Mountains.
Hualalai
A dormant shield volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. It last erupted in 1801 and is considered active enough to pose some future hazard.
Hekla
One of Iceland’s most active volcanoes, nicknamed the gateway to hell in the Middle Ages. It tends to erupt with little warning.
Huascaran
The highest mountain in Peru at about 22,205 feet and the tallest peak in the tropics. It is known for its glaciers and past deadly avalanches.
Himalayas
The world’s highest mountain range, including Mount Everest. It formed and is still rising from the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.
Hindu Kush
A rugged mountain range stretching about 500 miles through Afghanistan and Pakistan. It forms a western extension of the Himalayan system.
Harz Mountains
A low mountain range in northern Germany, famous for its folklore and mining history. The Brocken is its highest peak at about 3,740 feet.
High Plains
A broad region of flat, dry grassland east of the Rocky Mountains. It sits above the Ogallala Aquifer, a major source of irrigation water.
Hudson Bay
A huge, shallow body of saltwater in northeastern Canada, connected to the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It sits in a basin shaped by ancient glaciers.
Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain
A line of volcanoes and seamounts stretching about 3,600 miles across the Pacific. Its bend records a change in the direction of plate motion.
Hadean zircon
A tiny crystal that is among the oldest known pieces of Earth, dated to about 4.4 billion years. It offers clues about the early crust and oceans.
Hornfels
A hard, dense rock formed when existing rock is baked by nearby hot magma. It breaks into sharp, splintery pieces.
Hematite
A common iron-rich mineral that gives many rocks a red color. It is the main ore of iron and also forms on Mars.
Halite
The mineral form of common table salt. It forms when salty water evaporates and leaves thick deposits behind.
Hypabyssal intrusion
A body of magma that cools and hardens at shallow depth, between deep intrusions and surface lava flows. Dikes and sills are common forms.
Horn Peak (Hörnli ridge)
The ridge leading to the summit of the Matterhorn, widely used as the standard climbing route. It is steep and rocky, with exposed sections.
Hot pot
A pool of hot water or mud heated from below, often bubbling. New Zealand’s thermal areas have many such pools.
Hoodoo Rocks (Goblin Valley)
Odd, mushroom-shaped sandstone formations eroded over millions of years. They fill a basin that looks like an alien landscape.