Final answer:
Mountain belts are built from convergent stress and strain which occur when continental plates collide, resulting in the formation of mountain ranges through buckling and folding of the Earth's crust.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mountain belts are built from forces known as convergent stress and strain. These geological stresses occur when two continental plates collide, causing the Earth to buckle and fold. Such a process raises some rock materials to substantial heights, forming mountain ranges, like the Alps, which were created as a result of the African plate bumping into the Eurasian plate. Not only do the convergent forces push up mountains, but the added weight of the colliding continental masses causes additional bending in the lithosphere, often resulting in basin formation alongside the rising mountain ranges.