10 Amazing Geological Folds You Should See

10 Amazing Geological Folds You Should See
10 Amazing Geological Folds You Should See


Folds are some of the most common geological phenomena you see in the world – a geological fold occurs when planar (usually sedimentary) layers are curved and/or bent, permanently deformed due to outside pressure. Folds’ sizes can vary from microscopic to mountain sized.

The folds of the rocks at position Apoplystra


The folds of the rocks at position Apoplystra
Photo credit: © by G. Shuttleworth.

The folds of the rocks at position Apoplystra, between the village of St. Paul and the sandhills (Greece) are remarkably colorful.


Slump Folds at Antipaxos Island in Greece


Slump Folds at Antipaxos Island in Greece
Photo credit: © Maki Doukouros

Slump Folds, Oligocene carbonate sediments exposed on the Ionian Island of Antipaxos, Greece.





The Sideling Hill, Maryland, USA


The Sideling Hill, Maryland, USA
Photo credit: Schnabel Engineering, Inc.

The Sideling Hill rock cut is famous for its impressive geologic display, exposing layers of sedimentary rock folded in a broad syncline.



Folded Carbonates flysch, France


Folded Carbonates flysch, France
Photo credit: Thibault Cavailhes

Folded Carbonates flysch in Basque Country, France.


The Chevron folds, North Cornwall, United Kingdom


The Chevron folds, North Cornwall, United Kingdom
Photo credit: Nik on Flickr

Chevron folds are a structural feature characterized by repeated well behaved folded beds with straight limbs and sharp hinges. Well developed, these folds develop repeated set of v-shaped beds. They develop in response to regional or local compressive stress. Inter-limb angles are generally 60 degrees or less.





Mount Head, Canada

Mount Head, Canada
Photo credit: ZME Science

Located in the Highwood River Valleysouth of Head Creek and north of Wileman Creek. Highwood Range, Kananaskis Park, Alberta


Richat Structure, Sahara desert of Mauritania

Richat Structure, Sahara desert of Mauritania
Photo credit: Viva NOLA on Flickr

The Richat Structure in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania. Long considered to be an impact structure, it is now believed by most to be a structural dome. The Richat Structure is a deeply eroded, slightly elliptical dome with a diameter of 40 km. The sedimentary rock exposed in this dome ranges in age from Late Proterozoic within the center of the dome to Ordovician sandstone around its edges


The Folded layers in valley in Namibia

The Folded layers in valley in Namibia

The Folded layers in valley in Namibia


Geologic Folds in the Lower Ugab valley in Namibia.



Folded beds at Eilat mountains, Israel

Folded beds at Eilat mountains, Israel
Photo Credit: Iyad M. Swaed

Some seriously folded and faulted rocks at Eilat mountains, southern Israel.


Folded banded iron formation, Minnesota

Folded banded iron formation, Minnesota. 10 Amazing Geological Folds You Should See
Photo Credit: Callan Bentley/American Geophysical Union

Folded banded iron formation with shale interbeds, exposed in a pavement near Soudan, Minnesota.


Read also: The Terminology of a Fold
See also: Types of folds with Photos
Next Post Previous Post