Here's why:
* Compression: This occurs when two tectonic plates collide. The immense force pushes the rock layers together, causing them to bend and buckle.
* Folding: The bending and buckling of the rock layers creates folds, which can be either anticlines (upward folds) or synclines (downward folds).
* Mountain Formation: Over time, the accumulation of these folds can create large, elevated landforms known as fold mountains.
Examples of Fold Mountains:
* The Himalayas (formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates)
* The Alps (formed by the collision of the African and Eurasian plates)
* The Appalachian Mountains (formed by the collision of the North American and African plates)
Other types of stress:
* Tensional stress: Pulls rocks apart, leading to thinning and stretching of the crust. This is associated with the formation of rift valleys.
* Shear stress: Causes rocks to slide past each other horizontally, leading to the formation of faults.
