orogeny

American  

[aw-roj-uh-nee, oh-roj-] / ɔˈrɒdʒ ə ni, oʊˈrɒdʒ- /

noun

Geology.

1. the process of mountain making or upheaval.

---

orogeny British  

/ ˌɒrəʊˈdʒɛnɪk, ɒˈrɒdʒɪnɪ, ˌɒrəʊdʒɪˈnɛtɪk, ˌɒrəʊˈdʒɛnɪsɪs /

noun

1. the formation of mountain ranges by intense upward displacement of the earth's crust, usually associated with folding, thrust faulting, and other compressional processes

---

orogeny Scientific  

/ ô-rŏj′ə-nē /

1. The process of mountain formation, especially by folding and faulting of the Earth's crust and by plastic folding, metamorphism, and the intrusion of magmas in the lower parts of the lithosphere. Unlike epeirogeny, orogeny usually affects smaller regions and is associated with evidence of folding and faulting. The long chains of mountains often seen on the edges of continents form through orogeny.

---

Other Word Forms

• orogenetic adjective
• orogenic adjective
• orogenically adverb

Etymology

Origin of orogeny

First recorded in 1885–90; oro- ¹ + -geny

Example Sentences

It was the result of the first of two mountain-building events that resulted in today’s Blue Ridge — the Grenville orogeny of 1 billion years ago.

From Washington Post

They lay there under their blanket for hundreds of millions of years, as ages passed, an orogeny lifted the plateau, time turned ancient muds to rock, and erosion wore the blanket away. 

From Scientific American

“In this occasion we have had a kind of political implosion. And one should never discount the ability of such a tectonic orogeny to reformat how countries interact.”

From The Guardian

Further geological studies suggest that the region suffered a complex deformation during the Andean orogeny, including block rotation.

From Nature

This was the Laramide orogeny, when mountains were raised and the continent crumpled.

From Scientific American