Describe why the Himalayas have many folds?
- Fold mountains are mountains that form mainly by the effects of folding on layers within the upper part of the Earth's crust.
- Before either plate tectonic theory developed, or the internal architecture of thrust belts became well understood, the term was used for most mountain belts, such as the Himalayas.
- The Himalayas are a prime example of how tectonic plate motion can manipulate the earth in extraordinary ways.
- These colliding plates resulted in the formation of the highest mountain range on the planet.
- Our continents are carried by a series of tectonic plates located in the earth's lithosphere.
- Earth's crust itself is warped into folded forms. Foldmountains are often associated with continental crust.