di·as·tro·phism 
(dī-ăstrə-fĭz′əm)
(dī-ăstrə-fĭz′əm)n.
The process of deformation by which the major features of the earth's crust, including continents, mountains, ocean beds, folds, and faults, are formed.
[From Greek diastrophē, distortion, from diastrephein, to distort : dia-, apart; see DIA- + strephein, to twist; see streb(h)- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
di′a·strophic (dī′ə-strŏfĭk, -strōfĭk) adj.