B.Sc.

(V Sem)
2020 - 2021
Unit - 2
Structural Geology (B6)
Topic:
Types of Fold

Dr Mohammad Irfan Ahmad

Department of Geology
A.M.U. Aligarh

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Folded Structure

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 Fold
• Folds form from curving, buckling, and bending of originally planar rock
layers (e.g., beds, foliation) through ductile deformation.
•
• Folds are the systematically curved layers of rocks.

• A fold is a structure produced when a originally planer surface becomes

bent or curved as a result of deformation.

• Folds occur in any geologic layer such as bedding, lava flow layers,
foliation.

• Folds range in size from mm to km.

• Folds are a manifestation of ductile deformation.

• i.e., form at depth where T, P are high and fracturing does not occur.

• Practically, folds are defined by the attitude of their

• axis and/or hingeline, axial plane
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 Parts of fold/Anatomy of a fold/ fold terminology)

• Hinge(s): It is the area of maximum curvature. It is closure of fold

sometimes.
• Limb(s): these are the areas between the hinges or in other words these
are sides of the fold.
• Hinge line: it is possible to define a hinge line as line of maximum
curvature. The hinge line may be horizontal, inclined or vertical.
• A single fold is comprised of a hinge and 2-limbs.
• In a series of folds, each limb is shared between adjacent folds.
• Axial plane: The imaginary plane which is equidistant from each limb of
a fold and which also bisects the angle between the two limbs, is called
axial plane.
• The axial plane actually cuts the hinge zone of the fold along a line, which
is termed as fold axis or axis.

• Fold axial surface: It is that surface which passes through the hinge line
of the successive surfaces, such as is in general not a plane is known as
axial surface.
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• Crest and trough: In inclined fold the highest and lowest
points on the fold surface don’t in general corresponds to the with
the hinges, it is sometimes advantageous to use the term ‘crest and
trough’ for these points.

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• Amplitude and wavelength: These two elements are helpful in measuring the size
of the fold. If the hinges are not visible.
• λ/2 may be measured, instead by taking the distance between the two inflection
points on the either sides of the fold hinge.
• ‘inflection point are points where, the sense of curvature changes from one fold to other.
• The amplitude or height of a fold may be measured by taking half of the perpendicular distance
from the hinge to the line between the two adjacent hinges, or the perpendicular distance from
the hinge to the line between two inflection points.’

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• From the point of view of there structure, geometry and
appearance in space, a number of different types of folds
have so far been recognized:-

1. Anticline
2. Syncline 12. Synclinorium and
3. Symmetrical Anticlinorium
4. Asymmetrical 13. Drag fold/Parasitic fold
5. Overturned fold 14. Harmonic and
6. Isoclinal fold disharmonic fold
7. Recumbent fold or nappe 15. Kink band
8. Monoclinal fold 16. Dome
9. Fan fold 17. Basin
10. Chevron fold
11. Box fold/Conjugate fold

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 1. ANTICLINE - An anticline is a
Diagram of Anticline
Anticline with syncline visible at far
right- USGS
fold which is generally convex
upwards. In case of such
folds, the limbs commonly
slope away from the axial
plane. In most of the
anticlines progressively older
belts occur towards the
centre of curvature of the
fold.
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Anticline
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 2. SYNCLINE – A syncline on
the other hand is a fold
which is generally concave
upwards. The limbs in
syncline commonly slope
towards the axial plane. In
most of the synclines
progressively younger beds
occur towards the centre of
curvature of the fold.
Syncline and anticline occur
in succession in any folded
region.

Graphic syncline depiction

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syncline
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 Single Folded Surface
• These fold terminologies are only based on geometry:
• Antiform: Domains with upward closure (- curvature)
• Synform: Domains with downward closure (+ curvature)
• Neutral fold: Fold that closes sideways

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Terminologies based on geometry only :
Antiform: Domains with upward closure (- curvature)
Synform: Domains with downward closure (+ curvature)
Neutral fold: Fold that closes sideways

• However, in refolded areas this is not generally the case.

Antiformal syncline
Synformal anticline
Antiformal anticline
Synformal syncline

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3. SYMMETRICAL - A fold, whether
anticline or syncline, is described as
Symmetrical when its axial plane is
vertical and thus both the limbs have
same amount of dip. It results from
equal amount of compressional
forces acting from both the sides.

4. ASYMMETRICAL - However, if the

forces are unequal asymmetrical
folds developed. The limbs of
anticline or syncline generally slope
away from or towards each other,
having dip in opposite direction.

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An asymmetrical fold in sedimentary strata

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5. OVERTURNED FOLD –
If in any fold both the limbs dip towards the same direction, it is called an
Overturned Fold. In such fold one limb occurs in normal position whereas
the other appears to have been rotated or completely overturned from its
usual position.

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6. ISOCLINAL FOLD –
If in any fold, the amount of overturning be such that both the limbs have
the same amount of dip in the same direction, the structure is called an
Isoclinal fold.

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Tight isoclinal fold 24
7. RECUMBENT FOLD or NAPPE –
When a fold is so much overturned that its axial plane is horizontal or nearly so, it
is described as a Recumbent fold.
A nappe is a large sheet like body of rock that has been moved far from its
original position. Nappes form during continental plate collisions, when folds are
sheared so much that they fold back over on themselves and break apart.
The resulting structure is a large-scale recumbent fold.

Nappe

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Recumbent fold 26
8. MONOCLINAL –
In horizontal or gently sloping beds, slight and another localized change
in there usual altitude leads to the formation of Monoclinal structure. In
monoclines the beds are relatively flat but appears to have been bent
locally to exhibit higher dips.

Schematic Diagram

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9. FAN FOLD –
If in any fold, both the limbs are overturned. In the anticlinal fan fold, the
two limbs dip toward each other. In synclinal fan fold, the two limbs dip
away from each other.
They assumed the shape of a fan and this called Fan Fold.

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10. CHEVRON FOLD –
• The crests and troughs of a fold are generally rounded. Occasionally, however,
sharp angular crests and troughs do occur in some folds and are described as
Chevron Folds.
• Sharp hinges and straight limbs.

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Chevron fold 30
11. Box Fold/Conjugate fold

• These folds are found in pairs whose axial surfaces are

dipping towards each other. (Two Hinge lines)
• A box fold is a special type of conjugate fold having almost a
rectangular outcrop pattern.

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Box Fold
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12. SYNCLINORIUM & ANTICLINORIUM –
A large syncline with secondary folds of smaller size developed on
geosyncline is known as Synclinorium while an anticline of similar
nature is called an Anticlinorium.

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13. DRAG FOLD or PARASITIC FOLD-
When a comparatively weak bed lies between strong beds, any sliding
motion in the stronger beds leads to the development of minor asymmetric
fold known as Drag Folds/parasitic fold within the weaker folds.

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Give us information about sense of shear on the fold limbs as well as the
location of larger-scale fold hinges.

Think of S and Z folds, their asymmetry will give a sense of rotation, when
viewed down plunge.

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14. Harmonic and disharmonic fold:
• If in a thick succession, folds almost follow the same style,
they are called harmonic folds.
• If they do not follow the same style as other layers the fold is
called as disharmonic fold.

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15. Kink bands
These are the narrow band only a few cm wide in which beds
assumed a dip which is steeper or gentler than in adjacent parts.

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Kink bands

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Kink bands

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16. DOME -
An anticlinal uplift with central symmetrical dipping is known as Dome.
Domes are generally formed from one main deformation event, or via
diapirism from underlying magmatic intrusions or movement of upwardly
mobile, mechanically ductile, material such as rock salt (salt dome) and shale
(shale diapir).

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17. BASIN –
A synclinal depression with central reversal dip is known as
Basin.

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18. Ptygmatic fold: folds are chaotic, random and disconnected. Ptygmatic folds
generally represent condition where the folded material is of a much greater
viscosity than the surrounding medium.

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19. Cylindrical folds
Folds are often drawn as cylindrical structures, meaning that the fold axis is a
straight line which, when moved parallel to itself, generates any single fold of
the same generation. The axis of cylindricity is parallel to the fold axis.
Non- Cylindrical folds
Hinges of non-cylindrical folds are curved within a plane (curvilinear) and,
therefore, change in trend and plunge.
Conical fold describes a non-cylindrically folded surface that has the
approximate geometry of a cone.

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20. Doubly plunging folds
The plunge of the hinge line reverses along a doubly plunging fold.
If the hinge line plunges away from a high point (the axis is convex upward),
the high point is a culmination; if it plunges toward a low point (the axis is
concave upward) the low point is a depression.

Nearly circular culminations are domes and

Nearly circular depressions basins

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Sheath fold

• A sheath fold has a strongly curved hinge line.

• Sheath folds contain a long (stretching) axis along the length of the
tube or tongue shape, whilst cross sections normal to this axis display
closed geometries. Such elliptical sections or nested rings define eye-
folds.

• Sheath folds are highly non-cylindrical structures often associated

with shear zones. Sheath folds form in areas where rocks react
differently to simple shear due to variations in competence across
layers. The hinge line is severely bent in sheath folds. In essence
these folds are highly deformed layers of rock that have been
stretched out into a conical geometry overall.

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Sheath fold
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Sheath fold

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 Economic Significance
• Doubly-plunging or faulted anticlines, culminations, and structural
domes are favored locations for oil and natural gas.
• The low density of petroleum causes it to buoyantly migrate upward
to the highest parts of the fold, until stopped by a low-permeability
barrier such as an impermeable stratum or fault zone.
• Examples of low-permeability seals that contain the hydrocarbons, oil
and gas, in the ground include shale, limestone, sandstone, and even
salt domes. The actual type of stratum does not matter if it has low-
permeability.
• Culminations in folded strata which are cut by shears and faults are
favoured loci for deposition of saddle-reef style lode gold deposits.

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