Mike Searle applies the theory of plate tectonics to explain what causes mountains of all kinds to form.  They range from enormous mountain belts such as those that stretch from the Himalaya to the Alps, to mid-ocean volcanoes such as Hawaii.

Mike Searle is Professor of Earth Sciences at Oxford University.  For over 30 years he has been studying the Himalaya, Karakoram, and the Tibetan Plateau.  He has summarized his work in a richly illustrated book entitled Colliding Continents. 

For illustrations that support the podcast go to geologybites.com.