Which landform is formed when two tectonic plates push together?

• A. Ocean ridges
• B. Island arcs
• C. Fold mountains
• D. Ocean trenches

Answer: (C)

When rocks are squeezed from opposite directions at convergent plate boundaries, they can’t just slide past each other easily. The stress compresses the crust, so the rocks buckle and are pushed upward, thickening the crust in places and forming long, raised, ridge-like features. This uplifting and folding creates fold mountains, which are typical where continental plates collide. A classic example is the Himalayas, built as the Indian Plate pushes into the Eurasian Plate and the rocks are folded and lifted over millions of years. This process is different from ocean trenches, which form where one plate sinks beneath another, or island arcs, which arise from subduction melting that builds volcanic island chains. So the landform arising from plate collision and compression is fold mountains.