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Plate Tectonics - Plates Colliding form Fold Mountains.
As shown on the previous
page, when an oceanic plate collides
with a continental
plate, the enormous forces cause
rocks
to melt and new magma is formed. This magma under
pressure
may burst out of a
volcano
as much as 100 km inland
from the plate boundary as shown in the picture
below.
The continental plate is crumpled and folded,
giving rise to mountain ranges called
fold mountains.
The Andes mountain range is
formed in this way, on the
west coast of South America where the oceanic Nazca Plate
collides with the South American Plate which is continental.
What is a Subduction Zone?
An oceanic
trench is formed offshore where the
oceanic plate is forced
downwards at the subduction
zone.
Two continental plates may also collide and build
mountains.
An example is the Himalayas, where the
Indo-Australian Plate is
colliding with the Eurasian Plate.
The Himalayas are the world's highest
mountains.
Links
Waves
Plate Tectonics
Revision Questions
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