Antiform Vs Anticline Essay

The difference between and antiform and an anticline is the scale of the structure. An antiform can be as small as a band in a Gneiss. An anticline occurs on a much larger scale. The both are affected by the same compressional stress. In an anticline the oldest rocks are exposed in the middle of the structure and get younger as you move out. They are likely to out crop especially if the syncline has a resistant layer. On a map you would look for an area with older rocks in the middle with younger units as you move outward. The difference between a synform and a syncline are the same as with the antiform and the anticline. A synform is a type of fold structure on a small scale while a syncline is a fold structure of a large scale. The stresses that form these structures are compressional. The center of a syncline you see younger rocks and as you move outward to see older rock units. Outcrops of syncline are not too common because when the folding occurs it breaks up the rock layers in the center and that causes them to be more susceptible to weathering. On a geologic map you would look for an area with younger rocks in the middle with older rock on the outside. A plunging anticlines dip is away from the axis but the
The dip on a dome dips away from the center in a radial fashion, while in a basin the dip moves toward the center in a radial fashion. The rock units of a dome are older in the center and get younger as you move out and in a basin the youngest rocks are in the center and they get older as you move out. You can see a dome in an outcrop but you can’t see a basin because the rock layers are below the surface. If you were trying to find a dome on a geologic map you would look for a bullseye pattern of the rock with a rise in elevation. To see a basin you would look for the same pattern but, pay attention to the ages to the rock units to determine the type of structure you are looking