Major Landforms of the Earth — Social Studies STD 6 — Question

Block Mountains are formed when large areas of bedrock are widely broken up by faults creating large vertical displacements of continental crust. Vertical motion of the resulting blocks, sometimes accompanied by tilting, can then lead to high escarpments. These mountains are formed by the Earth's crust being stretched and extended by tensional forces. Fault block mountains commonly accompany rifting, another indicator of tensional tectonic forces. The uplifted blocks are called block mountains or horsts. The intervening dropped blocks are termed as graben. These can be small or form extensive rift valley systems. This form of landscape can be seen in East Africa, the Vosges, the Basin and Range province of Western North America, in south- central New England and the Rhine valley. These areas often occur when the regional stress is extensional and the crust is thinned.