峨山属高原地貌形态，地形东部狭长，西部较宽。境内海拔2000以上的高山有60多座，较大的有高鲁山、大西山、总果山、大黑山、火石头山等。地势东北高、西南低。东部因受曲江（县境称猊江）切割，形成西北至东南走向的山地与谷地相间的地貌形态。中部的岔河、塔甸、富良棚等乡属岩溶比较发育的石灰岩地区，群山起伏，溶洞、洼地较多，有地下沟、河分布，地面水源较缺。西部和北部，山高坡陡，箐深谷狭，地形破碎。全县平均海拔1691米，最高点为北部甸中镇镜湖行政村的火石头山，海拔2583.7米，最低点在西部绿汁江边的丫勒，海拔820米。峨山地层出露比较齐全，从最新的第四系到古到老的昆阳群地层均有出露，而以距今7000万年至2.25亿年的中生界地层分布最广，约占全县总面积的60%以上。峨山地处康滇地盾东界，燕山运动时期（距今7000万年左右），康滇地盾发生强烈褶皱、形成了许多断裂带，县境东部的双江、小街等地，位于曲江断裂带上，地壳运动剧烈，地震活动频繁。据史料记载，从清康熙三十五年（1695年）至公元1970年的275年间，曾发生过7次较大地震。发生于1970年1月5日凌晨1时零分34秒的一次大地震，震级达里氏7.7级，震中在小街镇大海洽行政村驻地梅子树村。这次地震波及云南省南部的大部地区，以峨山、通海、华宁、建水等县灾情最重。峨山受灾面积达475.8平方公里，占全县总面积的23.58%。小街、双江等镇的人民生命财产遭受严重损失。

Geographical survey of Eshan
    Eshan，which belongs to plateau landform, with a long topography in east and more widen in west. In Eshan, there are more than 60 mountains with a height of 2000 meters above sea-level, just as Gaolushan, Daxishan, Zongguoshan, Daheishan, firestone hill etc. The ground falls away from northeast to southwest. Because of the Qu river (it is also called Xu river), it weathered out into long northwest to southeast, and also with an alternation landform of mountain and valley. In the middle part, just like Chahe, Tadian, and fuliangpeng, are belong to limestone area, where with mountain, limestone hole and depression in it. Although there are channels or rivulets, it lacks water resources supply. In the west and north part, the mountain rise up in a steep, and with long with-drawing vale and fragmentation platform. Eshan lies at an average of 1691 meters above sea-level, The highest point is firestone hill, Jinghu administrative village, Dianzhong town in north part, It rises to a height of over 2583.7 meters above sea-level. Contrarily, the The lowest point is Yale, which lies by Luzhi river in west part, and with a height of 820 meters above sea-level. The portion of stratum in Eshan is of stratigraphic cob, and the part of a rock formation that appears above the surface are from the latest fourth series to ancient Kunming stratum. It contains the Mesozoic Erathem stratum which is from 70 million to 225 million years ago spread widely, and occupied 60% of total area. Eshan situated in the east of Yunnan, and a violent earthquake occurred there and formed many rifts during yanshan hill crustal movement(70 million years ago). Because the Shuangjiang, Xiaojie etc.in Eshan county lies on rifts, earthquakes occurred frequently. According to historical records, there had happened 7 earthquakes between 275 yeas, from the reign of Kang Xi(1695) to 1970 a.d.. The worst one happened at plum tree village, Xiaojie town on 1:0＇34＂at dawn，January5, 1970, magnitude reached 7.7. The earthquake affected most of Yunnan, especially in Eshan, tonghai,huanning jianshui and around, and 475.8 square kilometers were affected in Eshan, it occupied 23.58% of the total area. The losses in Xiaojie, shuangjiang etc. caused by the disaster were serious.