<p>Remember that Antarctica is covered in a sheet of ice. Strip away the ice and you get something like this:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/hPk50.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/hPk50.jpg" alt="Matterhorn"></a></p>

<p><em>(Source:Wikimedia Commons)</em></p>

<p>This is the <strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matterhorn" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Matterhorn</a></strong> in the Alps on the Swiss-Italian border. The word <strong><em>horn</em></strong> is used in glacial geomorphology to refer to a mountain peak that has been ground by glaciers on many sides to create a "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramidal_peak" rel="nofollow noreferrer">pyramidal peak</a>" with sheer, faceted sides.</p>

<p>During the Pleistocene ice ages, the Alps were covered in an ice sheet much like Antarctica is today, and undoubtedly at some point the tip of the Matterhorn poked through the top of the ice, looking very similar to the mountain in your picture. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-09T04:03:29.127Z
2017-12-09T04:03:29.127Z
Spencer
<p><strong>[Update: This was not a duplicate of the other question since the mountain shape is rather different. This was already stated in my question below.]</strong></p>

<p>This question is a bit similar to <a href="https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/12011/how-could-this-pyramidal-mountain-have-been-formed">this other question</a> about pyramid-shaped mountains.</p>

<p>In this case though the mountain is also in Antarctica but it looks as shown in below picture.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/jkDBp.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/jkDBp.jpg" alt="antarctic mountain"></a></p>

<p>(This picture is taken at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth_Antarctica" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Princess Elisabeth station</a>)</p>

<p>So I was curious on if this mountain in the foreground, and the one behind it, could be volcanoes? Or are there examples where non-volcano mountains form into these shapes?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-08T23:01:32.783Z
Where is the picture from?
Gimelist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-08T23:08:07.167Z
Hi @Michael, the picture is from [Princess Elisabeth station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth_Antarctica). I also updated this information on the question.
arredondo1991
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-10T17:15:29.983Z
I don't really see that the shape is that different. They have the same basic features to me.
bon
<mountains><antarctic>
How could this "aztec temple" mountain (or volcano) have been formed on Antarctica?
arredondo1991
# How could this "aztec temple" mountain (or volcano) have been formed on Antarctica?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-08)

**[Update: This was not a duplicate of the other question since the mountain shape is rather different. This was already stated in my question below.]**

This question is a bit similar to [this other question](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/12011/how-could-this-pyramidal-mountain-have-been-formed) about pyramid-shaped mountains.

In this case though the mountain is also in Antarctica but it looks as shown in below picture.

[![antarctic mountain](https://i.sstatic.net/jkDBp.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/jkDBp.jpg)

(This picture is taken at [Princess Elisabeth station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth_Antarctica))

So I was curious on if this mountain in the foreground, and the one behind it, could be volcanoes? Or are there examples where non-volcano mountains form into these shapes?

**Tags:** mountains, antarctic

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Where is the picture from?  
> **username_0**: Hi @Michael, the picture is from [Princess Elisabeth station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth_Antarctica). I also updated this information on the question.  
> **username_2**: I don't really see that the shape is that different. They have the same basic features to me.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-12-09. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Remember that Antarctica is covered in a sheet of ice. Strip away the ice and you get something like this:

[![Matterhorn](https://i.sstatic.net/hPk50.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/hPk50.jpg)

*(Source:Wikimedia Commons)*

This is the **[Matterhorn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matterhorn)** in the Alps on the Swiss-Italian border. The word ***horn*** is used in glacial geomorphology to refer to a mountain peak that has been ground by glaciers on many sides to create a "[pyramidal peak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramidal_peak)" with sheer, faceted sides.

During the Pleistocene ice ages, the Alps were covered in an ice sheet much like Antarctica is today, and undoubtedly at some point the tip of the Matterhorn poked through the top of the ice, looking very similar to the mountain in your picture.


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