* Mountain Ranges: The immense pressure from the colliding plates causes the land to buckle and fold, creating towering mountain ranges like the Himalayas and the Alps.
* Plateaus: Extensive, flat, elevated areas can form as the crust is uplifted and compressed.
* Fault Zones: The immense pressure creates weaknesses in the crust, leading to the formation of fault zones. These faults can cause earthquakes when they slip.
* Volcanism: Although less common than with oceanic-continental convergence, some volcanism can occur. The collision can thicken the crust, allowing magma to rise through the weaker zones.
* Metamorphism: The intense heat and pressure associated with the collision can change the existing rocks, creating metamorphic rocks.
Key Points:
* No Subduction: Unlike oceanic-continental collisions, continental-continental collisions do not involve subduction, as both plates are too buoyant to sink.
* Crustal Thickening: The primary result is the thickening of the continental crust.
* Significant Uplift: The pressure from the collision causes significant uplift, leading to the formation of mountains and plateaus.
Examples:
* Himalayas: The collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates created the Himalayan mountain range.
* Alps: The collision of the African and Eurasian plates formed the Alps.
* Appalachian Mountains: The collision of the North American and African plates formed the Appalachians, though they are now eroded and much older than the Himalayas or Alps.
