Final answer:
Compression stress at tectonic plate boundaries leads to collision and folding, forming mountain ranges and causing one plate to subduct beneath another. This affects Earth's landscape and can cause earthquakes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The stress of compression affects Earth's plates by causing them to collide and fold. This type of stress occurs at convergent boundaries, where the movement of tectonic plates leads to one plate being forced over another, forming mountain ranges, or in the case of oceanic plates, leading to subduction zones where one plate slides beneath another. This process is crucial in shaping the Earth's landscape and can result in significant geological features and