Orogenic movements are also known as tectonic revolutions. From the study of the nature and characteristic features of fold-mountains, there, generally, appears to be three stages in an orogenic cycle as:

(i) Initial Stage:

Formation of geosyncline, subsi­dence and accumulation of sedi­ments.

(ii) Second Stage:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Sever crusial movements causing folds, faults in sediments and igneous intrusion.

(iii) Final stage:

Upheaval of the deformed sedi­ments to form mountains.

Orogeny causes more crustal deformation in comparison to epeirogeny , even though both the processes together account for all diastrophic activities of the earth.