What geological feature forms when rock layers are squeezed together and pushed upward?

The correct answer is folded mountains. These geological features form when tectonic forces compress rock layers, causing them to bend and fold upwards rather than break. As continental or oceanic plates collide, the immense pressure leads to complex formations of folds, which can create peaks and valleys characteristic of mountain ranges.

This process often occurs in convergent plate boundaries, where two plates move toward each other, resulting in the folding and uplifting of the Earth's crust. Folded mountains can be distinguished by their distinct, wavy ridges and valleys, marking the areas where rock has been deformed under pressure.

Other geological features listed, such as plateaus or faults, do not form through the same processes as folded mountains. Plateaus are typically formed through volcanic activity or the uplifting of large, flat areas of rock, while faults are fractures in the Earth's crust where movement has occurred. Composite volcanoes relate to volcanic activity and are structures formed by the accumulation of various volcanic materials, not through the folding of rock layers under pressure.