Mountain

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Peak, Snow Mountain, Mountains, Mountain Range, Mountain Resort

Category

Nature, Natural Attractions, Recreation, Tourism

Message / Function

For notice in general and to indicate the location of a mountain or the peak of a mountain

	Source	Description
	DER	View of landscape with two mountains and clouds
	Hora III:EL	View of landscape with two mountains and cloud
	CNIS	Two triangles with rounded top corner as mountains in side view, cloud in front
	Ecuador	Clipped view of two mountains with snow at top
	Bolivia	Side view of three mountains, jagged lines at top indicating snow
	Douglal	Side view of three mountains, jagged line at central peak indicating snow
	Ecelan	Side view of two mountains with line indicating snow
	BTA 1989	Side view of mountain with snow indicated at peak
	Extremadura	Triangle with jagged area at top indicating snow
	CNIS	Triangle with rounded top corner, jagged area at top indicating snow
	IEC 60417	Two overlapping filled triangles with top corner slightly rounded
	NP Tiroler Lech	Two overlapping filled triangles
	Dreyfuss	Two parallel 180° arcs

Note: Some of the examples shown above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.

Discussion

Basically images found show one to three peaks in side view, with the individual peaks frequently displayed as a simple triangle, but in some cases also with a rounded top. In the upper region often also snow or ice is indicated. Sometimes clouds are displayed in the top part of the image to suggest a remarkable hight of the mountains signified. In maps and plans mountains usually are represented by rather simple and abstract symbols, or even just by displaying their official height or name without any symbol. We also included two variants of symbol No 5580 from IEC 60417 (Graphical Symbols for Use on Equipment): Zone Focus, Long Distance, as the image descriptions for these symbols perfectly fit for the referent Mountains.

In our research we did not discover any test data on comprehensibility of pictograms used to indicate Mountain or Peak, but we have the impression that most variants could be well comprehensible.

Recommendations

Due to the fact that no data concerning comprehensibility of any pictogram variant is available, we recommend to collect more pictograms, and to conduct research using the Comprehensibility Estimation procedure for eliminating poor variants and identifying the best of the set available, followed by a Comprehension Test. These studies should deliver useful data for recommending one or several pictograms. Detailed information about the most frequent responses given in each of the response categories of the Comprehension Test should be provided to correctly judge comprehensibility and improve designs.

Tests of pictograms of referent Mountain

No data from research or tests is available in our database.