What is orogeny?
Q: What is orogeny?
A: Orogeny is the process of mountain-building that takes place when two tectonic plates come together. It involves a range of geological processes collectively called orogenesis and results in the formation of mountain ranges.
Q: What are some common causes of orogeny?
A: Common causes of orogeny include convergent boundaries, where a continent rides over an oceanic plate or two continental plates converge, and when a plate moves over a hot spot in the Earth's mantle.
Q: Is there another process related to orogeny?
A: Yes, there is another process called delamination which occurs when an unstable portion of cold root of the lithosphere drips down into the mantle, decreasing the density of the lithosphere and causing buoyant uplift.
Q: Are there any examples of delamination?
A: An example of delamination is The Sierra Nevada in California.
Q: Are there other ways mountains can form apart from orogeny?
A: Yes, mountains can also form due to thermal buoyancy caused by hot mantle underneath them which pushes them up - this is known as dynamic topography. Examples include mid-ocean ridges and East African Rift.
Q: What type of boundary often leads to orogens developing?
A: A convergent boundary often leads to orogens developing - for example where a continent rides over an oceanic plate (non-collisional) or two continental plates converge (collide).
