A monocline (or, rarely, a monoform) is a step-like

fold Fold, folding or foldable may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Fold'' (album), the debut release by Australian rock band Epicure *Fold (poker), in the game of poker, to discard one's hand and forfeit interest in the current pot *Above ...

in rock

strata In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as e ...

consisting of a zone of steeper dip within an otherwise horizontal or gently-dipping sequence.

Formation

Monoclines may be formed in several different ways (see diagram) * By differential

compaction Compaction may refer to: * Soil compaction, for mechanically induced compaction near the ground surface * Compaction of ceramic powders * Compaction (geology), part of the process of lithification involving mechanical dewatering of a sediment by ...

over an underlying structure, particularly a large fault at the edge of a basin due to the greater compactibility of the basin fill, the amplitude of the fold will die out gradually upwards. * By mild reactivation of an earlier

extensional fault An extensional fault is a fault caused by stretching of the Earth's crust. Stretching reduces the thickness and horizontally extends portions of the crust and/or lithosphere. In most cases such a fault is also a normal fault, but may create a s ...

during a phase of

inversion Inversion or inversions may refer to: Arts * , a French gay magazine (1924/1925) * ''Inversion'' (artwork), a 2005 temporary sculpture in Houston, Texas * Inversion (music), a term with various meanings in music theory and musical set theory * ...

causing folding in the overlying sequence. * As a form of fault propagation fold during upward propagation of an extensional fault in basement into an overlying cover sequence. * As a form of fault propagation fold during upward propagation of a reverse fault in basement into an overlying cover sequence.

Examples

* Waterpocket Fold in

Capitol Reef National Park Capitol Reef National Park is an American national park in south-central Utah. The park is approximately long on its northsouth axis and just wide on average. The park was established in 1971 to preserve of desert landscape and is open all ye ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

* Comb Ridge in southern

* Grandview-Phantom Monocline in

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

* Grand Hogback in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

* Lebombo Mountains in Southern Africa * Lapstone Monocline in the

Blue Mountains (Australia) The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region and a mountain range located in New South Wales, Australia. The region borders on Sydney's metropolitan area, its foothills starting about west of centre of the state capital, close to Penrith ...

* Beaumaris Monocline in

Victoria (Australia) Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in ...

* Purbeck Monocline on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England * Fore-Sudetic Monocline, Poland * Sindh Monocline,

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

* Torres Flexure, southern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

References

{{Structural geology Structural geology Deformation (mechanics)

Formation

Examples

See also

References