How are mountains formed?: Quick Facts

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Snow-capped peaks and rugged slopes of the Himalayas rise above a brown valley, seen from Cho La Pass in Everest National Park, Nepal.

Cross-sectional diagram of a subduction zone showing oceanic crust moving beneath continental crust, with features labeled including transform fault, oceanic ridge, trench, accretionary wedge, rising magma, and the Benioff-Wadati zone.

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plate tectonics mountain orogeny How do earthquakes occur?How do tectonic plates move?earthquake supercontinent The World’s Highest Mountains by Continent continental drift fold continent volcanism Nevadan orogeny