Which structures uplift crust during continental collision?

• A. Thrust faults and folds
• B. Normal faults
• C. Transform faults
• D. Volcanoes

Answer: (A)

During continental collision, the crust is squeezed, causing shortening and thickening. This deformation lifts the crust upward most effectively through thrust faults and folds. Thrust faults are low-angle reverse faults that stack slices of rock on top of one another, pushing material to higher levels. Folds form as the crust buckles under compression, creating anticlines that stand up as ridges and synclines that dip. Together, these structures build up and expose tall mountain belts.

Normal faults develop from extension, not compression, so they don’t drive uplift in this setting. Transform faults accommodate lateral sliding rather than vertical stacking. Volcanoes involve magmatic processes and surface lava intrusion, which can contribute to topography in some contexts but are not the primary structures that uplift crust during continental collision.