The most prominent global mountain systems began their primary uplift roughly 30 million years ago during the Cenozoic Era’s Alpine Orogeny. While the process involves various phases, this specific period marks the transition when major plates, such as the Indian and Eurasian plates, collided with sufficient force to create the massive fold structures we see today. Geographically, these mountains are classified as “young” because they haven’t yet been significantly worn down by erosion compared to ancient ranges. Their extreme elevation and jagged peaks are direct results of this relatively recent and vigorous period of crustal deformation.