Mountain Building Quiz

Compression caused by tectonic plate movement refers to the stress that squeezes rocks. This type of stress occurs when two tectonic plates collide or move towards each other, causing the rocks to be pushed together. As a result, the rocks are compressed and may undergo deformation, folding, or faulting. This compression can lead to the formation of mountains, as the rocks are forced upwards and folded.

Volcanic mountains are formed by eruption. When molten rock, gas, and other materials escape through the Earth's crust during a volcanic eruption, they form a volcanic mountain. The eruption occurs when pressure builds up in the magma chamber beneath the Earth's surface, causing the magma to rise and eventually erupt onto the surface. This process leads to the accumulation of layers of volcanic material over time, gradually forming a mountain.

Folded mountains are formed by compression. When two tectonic plates collide, immense pressure is exerted on the rocks in the Earth's crust. This pressure causes the rocks to fold and buckle, forming folded mountains. The compression forces the rocks to bend and fold, creating large-scale structures like ridges and valleys. Over time, the continued movement of the tectonic plates and the forces of erosion shape these folded mountains into their characteristic shapes.

When stress causes a strike-slip fault, the walls slide past each other. In a strike-slip fault, the movement of the rocks is horizontal, with one side of the fault moving to the left and the other side moving to the right. This type of fault occurs when the stress is mainly horizontal and the rocks experience shear forces. As a result, the rocks on either side of the fault slide past each other, causing the walls to move horizontally rather than vertically.

A fault block mountain can form as a result of tension by tectonic plate movement. When tectonic plates move apart, tensional forces create fractures or faults in the Earth's crust. In the case of a fault block mountain, one side of the fault is uplifted while the other side remains relatively unchanged. This uplifted block forms a mountain range, with steep slopes on one side and a more gentle slope on the other. This type of mountain is typically characterized by a series of parallel ridges and valleys, and examples include the Sierra Nevada range in California and the Tetons in Wyoming.