Geologist believe that most
mountains are formed by movements in the earth's
crust. This movement is what scientists call Plate Tectonics.
Plate Tectonics is a process in which a number of vast plates move about the earth's surface. These plates can move
a few centimeters a year.
The mountain belts were developed by the collision and separation of continental crust. During this collision, the crust of the surface of each plate either rises above or is shoved under the other plate. The crust will raise by faulting because of the collision between the plates. The separation of plates can cause some blocks to sink., leaving other blocks to tower above. This can also lead to volcanic eruption, in other words a volcano.
Plate Tectonics deals with continents drifting from place to place breaking apart, colliding, and rubbing against each other. This action causes mountains to be formed by the continents being pushed up against each other. They also can cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Try this!
Take two hardcover textbooks
and push them together. You will see that part of one book is
pushed to the top while part of the other book is pushed below.
Congratulations, you have just witnessed when two "book plates"
collide to make a book mountain.