What is the Alpine orogeny?
Q: What is the Alpine orogeny?
A: The Alpine orogeny (sometimes Alpide orogeny) is the building of mountain ranges in central and southern Europe and west Asia. This mountain-building phase started in the later Mesozoic era, when two large continents Africa and India (plus a smaller plate) moved north and collided with Eurasia. This collision caused mountains to build from the western edge far into Asia, forming what is known as the Alpide belt.
Q: When did it start?
A: The Alpine orogeny started in the later Mesozoic era.
Q: Is it still happening today?
A: Yes, this slow collision between continents is still continuing today.
Q: What are some of the mountain ranges that were formed by this process?
A: Some of the mountain ranges that were formed by this process include (from west to east) the Atlas, Rif, Baetic Cordillera, Cantabrian Mountains, Pyrenees, Alps, Apennine Mountains, Dinaric Alps, Hellenides, Carpathian Mountains, Balkan Mountains Taurus Armenian Highlands Caucasus Alborz Zagros Hindu Kush Pamir Karakoram and Himalayas.
Q: Are there any other geological features that were created by this process?
A: Yes there are other more distant and smaller geological features such as chalk hills in southern England and northern France (the 'Weald–Artois Anticline'), as well as chalk ridges of North Downs and South Downs in Southern England which can be seen on Isle of Wight at places like Alum Bay and Whitecliff Bay or near Lulworth Cove on Dorset coast.
Q: What other major phases of orogeny happened before Alpine Orogeny?
A: Before Alpine Orogeny there was Caledonian Orogeny which formed Old Red Sandstone continent followed by Variscan Orogeny when Pangaea formed from Gondwana colliding with Old Red Sandstone continent during middle to late Palaeozoic period.
