This page lists 25 geological features that start with U, from “Uluru” to “Umm al Qura Crater”. The list covers volcanoes, mountain ranges, craters, salt flats, canyons, and rock formations found on every continent. You can use it to plan a trip, find a topic for a school project, or simply learn about places and processes you might not know yet.

Geological features are the natural landforms and rock structures that make up the surface of the Earth, shaped over time by forces like volcanoes, glaciers, water, and moving plates. Some of them carry deep cultural meaning, such as “Uluru,” which is sacred to the Anangu people of Australia.

Below you’ll find the table with the name, region, characteristics, and description of each feature.

Name: The common name of each feature, so you can recognize it quickly and search for more details or photos on your own.

Region: The country, state, or area where each feature is found, which helps you place it on a map or plan a visit.

Characteristics: A short label for the type of feature, such as a volcano, salt flat, or crater, so you can compare them at a glance.

Description: A brief summary of what makes each feature notable, including its size, origin, or a key fact worth remembering.

Geological features

NameRegionCharacteristics
UluruNorthern Territory, AustraliaSandstone monolith
Ural MountainsRussia and KazakhstanAncient mountain range
Uinta MountainsUtah, USAEast-west mountain range
Salar de UyuniBoliviaSalt flat
Ubehebe CraterCalifornia, USAVolcanic maar crater
Upheaval DomeUtah, USAImpact or salt dome structure
Uncompahgre PeakColorado, USAVolcanic-region peak
UnzenNagasaki, JapanActive volcano complex
UbinasPeruActive stratovolcano
UlawunPapua New GuineaActive stratovolcano
UturuncuBoliviaDormant volcano
UvalaKarst regions, including the BalkansLarge sinkhole depression
U-shaped valleyGlaciated regions worldwideGlacial valley
UnconformityWorldwideGap in the rock record
UpliftWorldwideRising crust
Ungava CraterQuebec, CanadaMeteorite impact crater
Uwharrie MountainsNorth Carolina, USAEroded ancient range
Uvac CanyonSerbiaRiver meanders and limestone gorge
Ubari Sand SeaLibyaSand dune field
Udzungwa MountainsTanzaniaAncient forested mountains
Ukrainian ShieldUkraineAncient crystalline rock
Ulleung BasinSea of Japan, off South KoreaDeep-sea basin
Ulugh MuztaghTibetan Plateau, ChinaHigh glaciated peak
Upper Geyser BasinWyoming, USAGeothermal area
Umm al Qura CraterSaudi ArabiaVolcanic crater

Descriptions

Uluru
A huge red sandstone rock rising from the Australian desert. It is sacred to the Anangu people and changes color at sunrise and sunset.
Ural Mountains
A long, old mountain range that runs north to south through Russia and Kazakhstan. It is traditionally treated as part of the boundary between Europe and Asia.
Uinta Mountains
One of the few major mountain ranges in the US that runs east to west. It contains Kings Peak, the highest point in Utah.
Salar de Uyuni
The largest salt flat in the world, covering more than 4,000 square miles. In the rainy season a thin layer of water turns it into a giant mirror.
Ubehebe Crater
A deep crater in Death Valley formed by a steam explosion when magma met groundwater. It is about 600 feet deep and roughly half a mile wide.
Upheaval Dome
A circular crater-like structure in Canyonlands National Park. Scientists still debate whether it came from a meteorite impact or from a collapsed salt dome.
Uncompahgre Peak
A 14,309-foot peak in the San Juan Mountains. It is the sixth-highest peak in Colorado and has a distinctive wedge shape.
Unzen
A group of lava domes on the Shimabara Peninsula. A 1991 eruption sent deadly pyroclastic flows down the slopes and killed 43 people.
Ubinas
The most active volcano in Peru. It has a steep summit crater and has sent ash over nearby villages many times.
Ulawun
One of the most active volcanoes in Papua New Guinea. Its symmetrical cone sits on the island of New Britain.
Uturuncu
A high Andean volcano that last erupted about 270,000 years ago. Satellite data shows the ground around it is slowly rising.
Uvala
A large basin in limestone country formed when several sinkholes merge. Water drains through the rock below instead of running across the surface.
U-shaped valley
A valley with steep sides and a broad, flat floor. Glaciers carve this shape as they grind through a river valley.
Unconformity
A surface where younger rock sits on much older rock, with a large amount of time missing in between. Hutton’s Unconformity at Siccar Point, Scotland, helped show how old the Earth is.
Uplift
An area where the Earth’s crust has been pushed upward by tectonic forces. It can raise whole plateaus and mountain ranges over millions of years.
Ungava Crater
Also called the Pingualuit Crater, this almost perfectly round crater is about 1.9 miles wide. It holds a very clear lake filled by rain and snow.
Uwharrie Mountains
One of the oldest mountain ranges in North America. Millions of years of erosion have worn the peaks down to low, rounded hills.
Uvac Canyon
A winding limestone canyon along the Uvac River, known for tight, looping bends. Its cliffs shelter griffon vultures and caves.
Ubari Sand Sea
A large field of dunes in the Sahara Desert. Small lakes sit between some of the dunes.
Udzungwa Mountains
Part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, which are among the oldest mountains in Africa. The slopes are rich in rare plants and animals.
Ukrainian Shield
An exposed part of the very old rock beneath eastern Europe. Some of its rocks are more than 3 billion years old.
Ulleung Basin
A deep underwater basin near Ulleungdo island. It lies between South Korea and Japan and holds thick layers of sediment.
Ulugh Muztagh
A remote 25,000-foot peak in the Kunlun Mountains. It is covered in glaciers and rarely climbed.
Upper Geyser Basin
A part of Yellowstone National Park with the largest number of geysers in the world. Old Faithful is located here.
Umm al Qura Crater
A broad volcanic crater in the lava fields of western Saudi Arabia. The dark basalt around it stands out against the surrounding desert.
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