Fold Mountains Exam Revision

Flashcards about Fold Mountains, their formation, periods, and economic/social impacts, focusing on examples from Ireland and the Alps.

How are fold mountains created?

Fold mountains are created when two plates collide, causing the land to buckle upwards into folds.

What is an anticline?

An anticline is the upfold in a fold mountain.

What is a syncline?

A syncline is the downfold in a fold mountain.

Name the three major mountain-building periods.

Caledonian, Armorican, and Alpine.

When did the Caledonian mountain-building period occur?

Approximately 400 million years ago.

Which mountains in Ireland were formed during the Caledonian period?

The Dublin-Wicklow Mountains.

When did the Armorican mountain-building period occur?

Approximately 250 million years ago.

Which mountains in Munster were formed during the Armorican period?

Macgillycuddy Reeks in Kerry.

When did the Alpine mountain-building period occur?

Approximately 45 million years ago.

Give examples of mountains formed during the Alpine period.

The Alps in Europe and the Himalayas in Asia.

Why did the Alpine mountain-building period not impact Ireland?

Because Ireland had moved off a plate boundary.

How were the Dublin-Wicklow Mountains formed?

Roughly 400 million years ago during the Caledonian building period, two plates collided and two parts of Ireland fused.

What are some economic impacts of fold mountains, using the Alps as an example?

Farming (cattle, sheep, goats rough grazing), Hydroelectric power, and Tourism (skiing, hiking, climbing).

What are some social impacts of fold mountains, using the Alps as an example?

Accessibility challenges due to slopes, Thin and infertile soil making farming difficult, and the risk of Avalanches.

How do convection currents contribute to the formation of fold mountains?

Convection currents in the mantle cause plates to move. When two plates collide, they cause the land to buckle into folds.