Monday, October 26, 2009

At what zones do non-volcanic mountain ranges form?

Non-volcanic mountain ranges may be found along convergent boundaries of tectonic plates. Let's consider the Himalayan Mountains as an example.


Underneath the Himalayan Mountains, the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate are grinding together. In fact, many millions of years ago, the Indian subcontinent was not at all attached to the Eurasian landmass. With plate activity, the Indian Plate has been steadily moving towards and against the Eurasian Plate. When two or more plates converge in this way, some of the land mass is pushed upwards. Some of the land mass may also be driven downwards and "recycled" in the mantle. Over time, the land that is pushed upwards can create mountain ranges. 


If you look at a map of the Himalayan mountain range, or other non-volcanic mountain ranges, you can easily discern where the underlying convergent boundary is. 

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