Fold mountains

Fold mountains are ranges formed when tectonic compression bends rock layers, commonly during continental convergence. Their structure preserves the deformation and uplift of the crust.

Folding: The bending of originally planar rock layers under deformation without breaking them apart. Compression bends strata into folds that build many fold-mountain belts.
Himalayas: A mountain range in Asia formed by the ongoing collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. The Himalayas show continental collision folding and raising sedimentary rocks.
Anticline: An upward-arching fold in rock layers, with the oldest exposed rocks generally near its center. Anticlines are one of the basic fold forms found in compressed mountain belts.
Rain shadow: A dry region on the sheltered side of a mountain range, caused by descending air after moisture loss on the windward side. High fold-mountain barriers can create sharp wet-to-dry contrasts across their slopes.
Volcanic arc: A curved chain of volcanoes formed above a subducting tectonic plate. Volcanic arcs arise from subduction-related melting rather than folding as their defining process.
Thrust fault: A low-angle reverse fault along which one block of rock moves up and over another. Thrusting commonly accompanies folding and thickens crust beneath mountain ranges.
Alps: A European mountain system formed through convergence between the African and Eurasian plates. Alpine folds and thrust sheets preserve a classic record of continental convergence.
Syncline: A downward-curving fold in rock layers, with the youngest rocks generally near its center. Synclines commonly alternate with anticlines in folded strata.
Earthquake: Ground shaking caused by the sudden release of energy in Earth's crust or upper mantle. Active compression and fault movement around rising ranges can generate earthquakes.
Fault-block mountain: A mountain formed when crustal blocks move along faults, often under extension or tilting. Fault-block mountains rise mainly through block displacement, unlike ranges defined by folded strata.

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Mountain formationBroader topic: Folding is a direct way that collision shortens and raises crust.