Fold Mountain Formation
The formation of major fold mountain ranges, like the Himalayas, is primarily driven by the immense forces generated during plate collision. This process occurs at convergent plate boundaries where two tectonic plates move towards each other.
Plate Collision Explained
- When two continental plates collide, neither can easily subduct (sink) into the mantle due to their relatively low density.
- This results in intense compression, causing the crustal rocks to buckle, fold, and thrust upwards, creating large mountain ranges.
- The Himalayas are a prime example, formed by the ongoing collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.
Evaluating Other Options
- Wind deposition involves wind carrying and depositing sediment, typically forming dunes, not large mountain ranges.
- Erosion by rivers sculpts landscapes by removing material, carving valleys and canyons, but it wears down existing mountains rather than forming them.
- Volcanic eruptions can create individual mountains (volcanoes) but are not the primary mechanism for forming extensive fold mountain chains like the Himalayas, which involve crustal shortening and uplift over vast areas.
Therefore, plate collision is the process most responsible for the formation of fold mountains.
Important Questions from Geomorphology
Which one of the following is not an igneous rock?
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Hypocenter is the point on the surface of the Earth, nearest to the focus.
2. Velocity of earthquake waves is higher in denser materials.
3. P waves move faster and are the first to arrive at the surface of the Earth.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Which one of the following is the lowermost/innermost intrusive igneous rock?
The formation of ‘tors’ on small rocky hills is associated with which among the following?
Which one of the following statements about metamorphic rocks is not correct?
