Fault-Block Mountains and Valleys

1 A fault is a break in a rock. We usually associate faults with earthquakes. But did you know that faults can also form mountains?

2 Mountains are created by processes called orogeny. This process typically takes place close to plate boundaries. Actions at these boundaries place strain and tension on the crustal rocks. They are distorted by folding and faulting. Mountains are classified by the method they are formed.

3 Tensions at plate limits often shape faults in the earth's crust. There are dissimilar types of faults. Usual faults are caused by horizontal tension. Part of the crust is uplifted, and part of it moves down. This happens at the line where the rock is out of order, called the fault plane. In an area where there are many faults, mountain ranges can appearance. These mountains are called fault-block Mountains.

4 Fault-block mountains frequently occur where plates are moving apart. The movement causes the rocks to be prolonged. Temperatures are low and the rocks are fragile. In its place of folding, they break into big blocks.

5 Faulting causes a number of sections of the rock to be uplifted. These are called horsts. A horst is a division of the earth's crust that lies between two faults. It is higher than the nearby land.