Question

Folds like anticlines and synclines are produced by ____.

Answer 1

1. tectonic compression

The anticlines and synclines are both physical features that occur in the crust because of tectonic compression. The movement of the tectonic plates causes enormous pressure on the crust. This pressure gradually manages to twist and bend the crust, so much so that if the crust is cut through it will look like waves, or having a snake-shape. The anticlines are the folds at which each half dips away from the fold, while the synclines are the folds when each half dips toward the trough of the fold.

2. that the crust was shearing in a right-lateral motion

The Wasatch fault is normal type of fault. It is divided into five segments which together have a length of around 240 km. This fault has started to form around 10,000 years ago, and it has produced lot of strong earthquakes. This fault occurred while the crust was shearing in a right-lateral motion, which actually managed to move the Wasatch Mountain toward east. The fault is still active at some parts, and considering that its surrounding is heavily populated and the area is covered with soft lake sediments, there can be a big disaster in the future.

3. Material moves down a slope parallel to the layers of the underlying bedrock

The transitional slides are types of mass movement. They occur on places where the layers are parallel to one another, and the top layer is moving, eventually falling down a slope. Even though the top material is parallel to the layers of the underlying bedrock, a saturation of the top material, or a side pressure can move it, gradually making it move on top of the underlying bedrock until it comes to the slope and crumbles down.

4. delta

When a larger river enters the sea its waters slow down, and eventually stop in the larger body of water where they mix and become part of it. As the river is getting closer to the sea, it gradually slows down, and as it slows down it loses its velocity. By losing its velocity the river is not capable to carry the large amounts of sediment with it, so it starts depositing them. Gradually the deposits of sediments build up and they interfere with the movement of the water of the river, so the river starts to branch out and the water starts to move into the spaces where there are less deposits. This creates a triangular shaped natural feature known as delta.