Restless earth
Lesson 4 – Fold Mountains
Fold Mountains
LO: To understand how fold mountains form with reference to examples
Formation – The facts
During long periods of quiet between Earth movements – sedimentary rocks, 000s metres thick, formed in huge
depression called geosynclines. They are deposited there by rivers and over time, they are compressed into
sedimentary rocks – e.g. sandstone / limestone
They are then later forced upwards into a series of folds by the tectonic plate movement.
 Simple upfolds = anticlines
 Simple downfolds = synclines – e.g. Jura mountains in France
 Sometimes pushed over on one side → overfolds
 Sometimes severely folded and faulted – e.g. nappes
Draw from the book (quickly) how they are formed
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Key terms – use the books to write a definition of key terms. – Try the glossary as well as the topic pages.
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Nappes……………………………………………………………………………...........................................................................
Anticlines………………………………………………………………………………….................................................................
Synclines…………………………………………………………………………………..................................................................
Geosynclines …………………………………………………………………………………...........................................................
Sedimentary rocks…………………………………………………………………………………………..........................................
Overfolds………………………………………………………………………………….................................................................
Ocean trench ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Fold mountains ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Examples:
The Alps
 Young fold mountains, formed 30-40 million years ago – along the border of Italy, France, Switzerland and
Germany
 This range has anticline, syncline, overfolds and nappes.
Look at your map – which plates have helped form the ALPS? ……………………………………………………….……………………….
Formation of the Himalayas
 Peaks of the Himalayas reach > 8,000m – Mt Everest is the highest on earth.
 These are the highest and youngest major mountain belt
 Since the initial collision, India has moved 2000km further into Asia
Look at your map – Which plates have helped form the Himalayas? ………………………………………………………………………
Using the text book and your own knowledge explain why fold mountains form along destructive and collision plate
margins.
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