Geosyncline theory

The Geosyncline theory explains the formation of mountain ranges and ocean basins through large-scale Earth processes. It suggests that, over millions of years, vast, subsiding depressions called geosynclines accumulated thick layers of sediments and volcanic material. These sediments compacted and thickened, causing the Earth's crust to buckle and fold, eventually uplifting to form mountains or creating new ocean basins. Although the theory has been largely replaced by modern plate tectonics, it was an important step in understanding Earth's dynamic crust and the formation of geological features.