The Southern Alps

The Alpine Fault can be seen above running along the western edge of the Southern Alps

The Alpine Fault is a strike-slip fault line. Along the Alpine Fault the plates are not only moving along side each other as in a normal strike-slip fault line but they are also moving towards each other. It is this collision that it is causing the Pacific Plate to be pushed over the Australian Plate which created the Southern Alps and causing them to still rise about 7mm every year. This is called an internal process as it is happening from inside the Earth.