Geology: Folding and Faulting Mechanisms

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Questions and Answers

Which of these landforms is formed due to tensional pressure?

  • Synclines
  • Anticlines
  • Fold mountains
  • Rift valley (correct)

What is the geological make-up of the mountains in the Valley Province of Munster?

  • Carboniferous limestone
  • Sandstone (correct)
  • Basalt
  • Granite

What is the name of the process that formed the mountains of Munster?

  • Erosion
  • Subduction
  • Orogeny (correct)
  • Weathering

What is the main reason why limestone is easily eroded?

<p>All of the above (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between anticlines and synclines?

<p>Anticlines are upward folds, while synclines are downward folds. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why the Eastern African Rift Valley is so wide?

<p>It is located in a tectonically active area. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main impact of the Eastern African Rift Valley on the landscape?

<p>All of the above (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between folding and faulting?

<p>Folding is a result of compressional forces, while faulting is a result of tensional forces. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Plates

The Earth's crust is divided into 16 major segments called tectonic plates.

Folding

A geological process when two continental plates collide, causing uplift without subduction.

Faulting

A geological process that occurs when tectonic plates move apart, creating fractures in the crust.

Fold mountains

Mountains formed by the collision and pushing upwards of two continental plates.

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Orogeny

The process of mountain formation through folding, typically during plate tectonic activity.

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Anticlines

Upward folds in rock layers formed by tectonic pressure.

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Rift valley

A lowland region formed by the divergence of tectonic plates causing the land to sink.

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East African Rift Valley

A significant rift valley in Africa formed by the divergence of the Somali and Nubian plates.

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Study Notes

Folding

  • Mechanism: Continental plates collide (neither subducts), causing uplift and folding.
  • Result: Fold mountains, e.g., Andes, Munster mountains in Ireland.
  • Formation Process: Orogeny (mountain building). Rivers brought sediments (sand, sills) which lithified into sandstone. Subsequent limestone deposition.
  • Landscape Impact: Created mountains with an east-west trend due to southward pressure.
  • Erosion: Limestone easily erodes, allowing underlying sandstone anticlines (e.g. Macgillycuddy Reigde) to be visible.
  • Protection: Sandstone can protect limestone, resulting in limestone synclines (e.g., Blackwater Valley).
  • Timeline: Ireland was under a tropical sea (350 million years ago), followed by sandstone layers and then limestone.

Faulting

  • Mechanism: Two plates move apart creating tensional pressure and faults, weakening the crust.
  • Result: Rift valleys (grabens), e.g., East African Rift Valley.
  • Formation Process: Parallel faults form, causing the land between them to sink, creating a valley with steep fault escarpments.
  • Landscape Impact: Rift valleys can be up to 100 km wide, running from Ethiopia to Mozambique.
  • Cause: Plates moving apart (e.g., Caribbean and Nazca plates moving apart due to a hotspot)

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