Fold Mountains
Periods of Fold Mountain formation
- Caledonian Folding
400 million years ago - oldest fold mountains
Example: Dublin - Wicklow mountains
- Armorican Folding
250 million years ago
Example: Munster mountains
- Alpine Folding
35 million years ago. Youngest - not worn down yet
Example: The Rockies & Alps
Formation of Dublin-Wicklow mountains
One half of Ireland was connected to landmass near North America and the other half was connected further south
Continental drift had pulled them apart
During Caledonian Folding period the continents collided and fused together again, resulting in the formation of the Dublin-Wicklow mountains
Economic & Social Impacts of Fold Mountatins
Social Impacts
Economic Impacts
Accessibility: difficult to access, roads are expensive to build.
Farming: The fold mountains of the alps are used to farm sheep, goats & cattle
Hydro-Electric Power: Water from melting snow is used to create electricity
Tourism: Ski or snowboard in Winter. Hike in Summer. Creates jobs for locals.
Soil: can be thin and poor quality
Avalanches
Formation
Found on plate boundaries where two plates have collided
As the 2 plates push up against each other, the pressure forces the land to buckle upwards into folds