Q: How do mountains form?
—Lili L., age 12, Colorado
Most mountains form in places where tectonic plates collide, says Camilo Montes. He’s a geologist at the University of the North in Barranquilla, Colombia. Tectonic plates are like puzzle pieces that fit together. The places where it happens are known as . They are hot spots for all sorts of geological activity, including earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building.
