Question

As I was reading through one of the websites, I happened to come across this sentence.

Wegener's explanation was that as the continents moved, the leading edge of the continent would encounter resistance and thus compress and fold upwards forming mountains near the leading edges of the drifting continents.

Could u please simplify this for me?

Answer 1

If a plate is moving NW and it runs into a plate that is moving S or SE (or whatever), there will be a collision of some kind. Think about what happens when a car's fender hits a pole. What happens to the fender?

Answer 2

Oh ok, could u provide me with a picture on a site that sort of explains/shows leading edges of continents folding upwards forming mountains.

Answer 3

There are many here:
http://www.google.com/images?q=plate+tectonics+leading+edge&hl=en&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS379US379&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbs=isch:1&ei=U5svTZ2TD5KWsgPrzZjfBQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1355&bih=608

Answer 4

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/himalaya.html

Answer 5

Thank you both very much:)