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When two plates of equal weight push against one another, they can form folded mountains. They fold upward. Why couldn't they just as easily fold downward? Please forgive my ignorance and stupidity. :(
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Answers (4)
It all depends on your definition of "upward" vs "downward". Thrust faults in folded mountain ranges always (without exception) cut upwards. The fold itself of course has an upside limb and a downside limb. The thrust fault and previous fold are commonly refolded by later thrusts (which again) cutting upwards. It is therefore possible to have an entire fold "flopped over" on its side and become downward facing. There are also "recumbent" anticlines in mobile fold belts where the materials within the folds deform through plastic deformation and they are basically a mess of squished material which fold every which way in any direction "away" from the principle force (usually an igneous intrusion or series of intrusions.
Other forms of downward facing folds relate to listric normal faults which start at a high angle near surface and cut into a shallower angle with depth into shales or salt formations. These form downward folds but these never are "mountains".
Up and Down are relative terms..you must define them.
EDIT: As one person stated the Synclinal portion of a folded sequence has a downward facing apex, but then again there is usually a zone of detachment below that point or a Decollement, so again "down" becomes a relative term!
They do. Check out the geology of valley and ridge provinces, in particular the Appalachian Mountains. They are basically a series of anticlines (upward fold) and synclines (downward fold).
Reference: Geologist
Path of least resistance, air is much less dense than the mantle so when the 2 plates collide they move up.
They do. Fold both upward and downward, that is. You basically need just as much crust below as there is mountain above (to balance the weight of the mountain.) A bit like an iceberg, if you like, because the crust is "floating" in the mantle (but the densities of water and ice are nearly the same, so relatively speaking much more of the iceberg is submerged.)
"The processes of orogeny can take tens of millions of years and build mountains from plains or the ocean floor. The topographic height of orogenic mountains is related to the principle of isostasy,[6] that is, a balance of the downward gravitational force upon an upthrust mountain range (composed of light, continental crust material) and the buoyant upward forces exerted by the dense underlying mantle.[7]" (See references below).
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References