Fold Mountains and the French Alps case study

Question 1

Where do fold mountains usually occur?

Answer 1

Fold mountains usually occur near convergent or compression plate boundaries.

Question 2

What are 4 examples of fold mountains?

Answer 2

• the Alps
• the Rockies
• the Himalayas
• the Andes

Question 3

What are the 3 stages of the formation of fold mountains?

Answer 3

1. When an area of sea separates two plates, sediments settle on the sea floor in depressions called geosynclines. These sediments gradually become compressed into sedimentary rock.
2. When the two plates move towards each other again, the layers of sedimentary rock on the sea floor becomes crumpled and folded.
3. Eventually the sedimentary rock appears above sea levels as a range of fold mountains.