what causes the rock layers of mountains to form zigzag shapes?
a contineal plate uplift
b a normal fault
c a transform fault
d folding of rock
The zigzag or wavy patterns often seen in the rock layers of mountains are generally caused by the folding of rock. This process occurs when immense pressure and heat in the Earth's crust cause the layers of rock to buckle and fold. The most common scenario where this occurs is during the collision between continental plates, where the compressive forces are great enough to bend and deform the rock layers into anticlines (upward-arching folds) and synclines (downward-arching folds).
Therefore, the correct answer to your question would be:
d) folding of rock
While uplift, faults, and specifically continental plate uplift can contribute to the shaping of mountains and the exposure of rock layers, it's the folding process that is directly responsible for the zigzag or wavy pattern in the layers of rock. Normal and transform faults typically create different patterns, such as vertical displacements and horizontal shifts, respectively.