Final answer:
Plate movement causes continental plates to collide, creating intense pressure that deforms and folds the Earth's crust, leading to the formation of folded mountains such as the Alps and the Himalayas. Plate tectonics is a fundamental concept in geology responsible for these processes and serves as Earth's global cooling system.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plate movement significantly affects the formation of folded mountains. When two continental plates are moving towards each other, they create immense pressure that deforms and folds the crust. An example of this process can be seen with the formation of the Alps, where the African plate collides with the Eurasian plate. This collision has not only resulted in the creation of the mountains but has also contributed to complex geological structures due to the buckling and folding of the Earth's crust.
Mountain chains, like the Himalayas, continue to rise as the Indian and Eurasian plates push against one another, raising the earth's surface into those iconic peaks we recognize. This is an ongoing process, as plates can move up to an inch a year in the most active regions.
It's important to understand that plate tectonics as a whole is a fundamental geological mechanism, not only responsible for mountain building, but also as a means for Earth to transport interior heat to space, acting as a global cooling system. Differing from Earth, mountains on other planets are formed through different mechanisms due to their unique chemical makeup and other constraints.