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Difficulty: MediumRelief and Major Landforms of Africa

The Atlas Mountains in northwestern Africa and the Cape Fold System in Southern Africa stand out from the dominant plateau landscape of Africa. Which of the following processes best accounts for the formation of the Atlas Mountain range?

  1. Orogenic folding of earth crustal layers caused by compressional tectonic forces during plate collisionAnswer
  2. B
    Extensive volcanic eruptions accumulating thick sheets of basaltic lava on pre-existing basement rocks
  3. C
    Faulting and differential uplift of crustal blocks forming horsts alongside rift valley systems
  4. D
    Downslope movement of weathered surface mantle under gravity exposing resistant crystalline basements

Answer

Orogenic folding of earth crustal layers caused by compressional tectonic forces during plate collision
The Atlas Mountains are young fold mountains created by intense compressional forces where the African tectonic plate collided with the Eurasian plate, causing crustal sedimentary layers to fold into mountain ridges.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the geological classification of the Atlas Mountains of Africa.
The Atlas Mountains in northwestern Africa belong to the young (Alpine) fold mountain system of the continent.
Africa's major relief features fall into distinct origin classes: fold mountains, block mountains, volcanic high plateaus, and interior drainage basins.
2
Determine the tectonic mechanism that produces fold mountain systems.
Horizontal compressional stresses resulting from convergent plate boundaries (specifically the African plate colliding with the Eurasian plate) buckle sedimentary rock strata upwards into folds.
Folding occurs specifically under compressional tectonic forces along plate collision zones.

Key Concept

Tectonic Origin and Structural Formation of African Relief
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Topics

Relief and Major Landforms of Africa

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