Iintaba eziphakamileyo, ekwabizwa ngokuba yi-mesa okanye iintaba zetafile, ziqhele ukwenziwa ngokudityaniswa kokhukuliseko kunye nomsebenzi wetectonic.
Inkqubo iqala ngamandla etectonic atyhalela phezulu iileya ezinkulu ezisicaba zamatye, njengelitye lentlabathi okanye ilitye likalikalika, ukusuka ngaphantsi komhlaba. Ixesha elidlulele, Ukhukuliseko lwamanzi nolomoya ngokuthe ngcembe luwohloka amanqwanqwa athambileyo amatye, eshiya ngasemva intaba encopho umthambeka, amaxesha amaninzi ngamawa anamacala, ebizwa “iintsimbi,” emacaleni.
Kwezinye iimeko, Ukuqukuqela kwentaba-mlilo okanye intaba-mlilo inokudlala indima ekuyilweni kweentaba ezincopholeyo.. Umzekelo, kwiindawo ezinentaba-mlilo enkulu, udaka lunokuqukuqela kwindawo ethe tyaba luze ngokuthe ngcembe lwakhe lube yintaba encopholeyo ebizwa ngokuba lithafa lentaba-mlilo..
Ubume obukhethekileyo bentaba enomphezulu osicaba nako kunokuphenjelelwa yimozulu yendawo, ukubunjwa komhlaba, kunye neminye imiba yokusingqongileyo. Umzekelo, kwezinye iindawo ezinomileyo, imozulu eyomileyo, Ukhukuliseko lomoya lunokwenza iipateni ezahlukileyo zeenduli kunye neentlambo kumphezulu wentaba, yaziwa njenge “oohudo” okanye “iitshimini zasentsomini.”