Fold mountains

Question 1

Where are fold mountains found? How are they formed?

Answer 1

Fold mountains are found on plate boundaries where two plates have collided. As the two plates push against each other, the pressure forces the land to buckle upwards into folds.

Question 2

What are the upfolds and downfolds called?

Answer 2

The upfold is called the anticline and the downfold is called the syncline.

Question 3

List the periods of fold mountain formation. (3)

Answer 3

1. Caledonian: Folding occurred 400 million years ago e.g. the Dublin-Wicklow mountains
2. Armorican: Folding occurred 250 million years ago e.g. macgillicuddy’s Reeks in Kerry
3. Alpine: Started 35 million years ago and is ongoing today. These are the youngest and highest fold mountains in the world because they have not been worn down by weathering. The Alps in Europe, the Rockies in America, Himilayas in Asia.

Question 4

Case study- Life in the Alps: Economic impacts (3) and social impacts (3)

Answer 4

Economic impacts:

1. Farming: The fold mountains of the alps are used to farm sheep, goats and cattle.
2. hydroelectric power: The water from the melting snow is used to generate hydroelectric power.
3. Tourism: People visit the Alps to ski, snowboard, hike or climb. The income generated by tourism can provide a better standard of living for locals.

Social Impacts:

1. Accessibility: Many parts of the Alps are hard to access as slopes can be steep. Road-building is a costly venture.
2. Soil: Soil can be thin and poor quality, allowing only rough-grazing, which can make farming difficult or unprofitable.
3. Avalanches: Devastating avalanches happen when snow and ice suddenly come loose and crash down mountain slopes.