Mountain ranges often run parallel to coastlines due to convergent plate tectonics.
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 90/100
Geological evidence from active convergent margins around the world consistently shows that major mountain ranges, such as the Andes and ancient coastal ranges, form parallel to coastlines as a direct result of subduction and plate convergence.
Evidence for · 4
Sedimentary record of Andean mountain building
2017 · cited by 276
The paper reconstructs Mesozoic-Cenozoic subduction-related mountain building along the western margin of South America, demonstrating how convergent tectonics form coastal and cordilleran mountain ranges parallel to the subduction boundary.
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More for · 3
Eastward tectonic migration and transition of the Jurassic-Cretaceous Andean-type continental margin along Southeast China
2019 · cited by 154
The study details how the subduction of the paleo-Pacific Plate generated a NNE-striking Jurassic magmatic arc along Southeast China that coincided with a paleo-topographic coastal mountain range parallel to the convergent boundary.
Cretaceous coastal mountain building and potential impacts on climate change in East Asia
2024 · cited by 37
This study characterizes eastern Asia as an archetypal Andean-type convergent margin where tectonic shortening created a high coastal mountain range running parallel to the subduction zone.
Early exhumation of the Frontal Cordillera (Southern Central Andes) and implications for Andean mountain-building at ~33.5°S
2019 · cited by 26
The paper discusses the Andes as the modern active example of a Cordilleran-type orogen, where mountain-building and crustal thickening occur within the upper plate of a convergent subduction zone.