Mon Prof Augmenté
Colliding Plates Raise Mountains
Two thick slabs of continental crust push into each other. The rock between them folds upward and thickens, building high mountain chains over millions of years.
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Age 15: open this week
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In the picture
- A thick continental plate: one of the two landmasses pushing inward.
- The opposing continental plate: the second landmass pushing from the other side.
- Layered rock bands: strata bending upward where the plates meet.
- A sharp central peak: the highest part of the folded mountain chain.
- An hourglass: the millions of years needed for the mountains to rise.
Examples
- The Himalayas rising as India pushes into Asia.
- The Alps forming as Africa and Europe collide.
Key takeaways
- Continental plates move slowly, but their collision can fold rock into high mountains.
- Mountain chains grow over millions of years as the crust crumples and thickens.
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