Homocline
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structural geology Structural geology is the study of the three-dimensional distribution of rock units with respect to their deformational histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover informati ...
, a homocline or homoclinal structure (from old  = same, cline = inclination), is a geological structure in which the layers of a sequence of rock
strata In geology and related fields, a stratum (: strata) is a layer of Rock (geology), rock or sediment characterized by certain Lithology, lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by v ...
, either
sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock formed by the cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or deposited at Earth's surface. Sedime ...
or
igneous Igneous rock ( ), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial ...
, dip uniformly in a single direction having the same general inclination in terms of direction and angle.Jackson, JA, J Mehl and K Neuendorf (2005) ''Glossary of Geology.'' American Geological Institute, Alexandria, Virginia. 800 pp. Huggett, JR (2011) ''Fundamentals of Geomorphology,'' 3rd ed., Routledge, New York. 516 pp. A homocline can be associated with either one limb of a fold, the edges of a
dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
, , slice of
thrust fault A thrust fault is a break in the Earth's crust, across which older rocks are pushed above younger rocks. Thrust geometry and nomenclature Reverse faults A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault that has a dip of 45 degrees or less. I ...
, or a tilted
fault block Fault blocks are very large blocks of rock, sometimes hundreds of kilometres in extent, created by Tectonics, tectonic and localized stresses in Crust (geology), Earth's crust. Large areas of bedrock are broken up into blocks by Fault (geology) ...
. When the homoclinal strata consists of alternating layers of rock that vary hardness and resistance to
erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...
, their erosion produces either
cuesta A cuesta () is a hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side, and a steep slope on the other. In geology, the term is more specifically applied to a ridge where a harder sedimentary rock overlies a softer layer, the whole being tilted somew ...
s,
homoclinal ridge A homoclinal ridge or strike ridge is a hill or ridge with a moderate, generally between 10° and 30°, sloping backslope. Its backslope is a '' dip slope,'' that conforms with the dip of a resistant stratum or strata, called '' caprock.'' On the ...
s, or hogbacks depending on the angle of dip of the strata.Thornbury, W. D., 1954, ''Principles of Geomorphology'' New York, John Wiley & Sons, 618 pp. Twidale, C.R., and E.M. Campbell (1993) ''Australian Landforms: Structure, Process and Time.'' Gleneagles Publishing, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. 568 pp. Gerrard, J (1988) ''Rocks and landforms.'' Allen & Unwin Inc.,Winchester, Mass. 319 pp. On a
topographic map In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large- scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but histori ...
, the landfroms associated with homoclines exhibit nearly parallel elevation contour lines that show a steady change in elevation in a given direction. In the subsurface, they characterize by parallel structural contour lines.Reynolds, SJ, and GH Davis (1996) ''Structural geology of rocks and regions.'' John Wiley, New York, New York. 864 pp. Unicline and Uniclinal are obsolete and currently uncommon terms that are defined and have been used by
geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...
s and geomorphologists in an inconsistent and contradictory manner. They are terms that have been used in a mutually exclusive manner as a synonym for either a homoclineThomas, G, and A Goudie (2000) The Dictionary of Physical Geography, 3rd ed. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Maiden, Massachusetts. 624 pp. or monoclineU.S. Bureau of Mines Staff (1996) ''Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, & Related Terms.'' Report SP-96-1, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Washington, D.C.Neuendorf, K.K.E., J.P. Mehl, Jr., and J.A. Jackson, J.A., eds. (2005) ''Glossary of Geology'' (5th ed.). Alexandria, Virginia, American Geological Institute. 779 pp. depending the author. The meaning of this term has been further confused by Grabau, who redefined ''uniclinal,'' not as a geological structure, but as a general term for ridges produced by erosion of
anticline In structural geology, an anticline is a type of Fold (geology), fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest Bed (geology), beds at its core, whereas a syncline is the inverse of an anticline. A typical anticline is convex curve, c ...
s.Grabau, AW (1920a) ''Unicline; a term proposed for monoclinal ridges of erosion.'' Geological Society of America Bulletin. 31(1):153.Grabau, AW (1920b) ''A Comprehensive Geology, vol. 1'' D. C. Heath & Company, New York, New York. 804 pp. The erosion of tilted sequences of either stratified sedimentary or igneous rock, homoclines, of alternating resistance to erosion produce distinctive landforms that form a gradational continuum from cuestas through homoclinal ridges to hogbacks. Less resistant beds are preferentially eroded creating valleys that lie between ridges created by the erosion of more resistant beds. For example, the erosion of homoclines consisting of resistant beds of either limestone, sandstone, or both interbedded with weaker, less resistant beds of either shale, siltstone, marl, or combination of them will produce either cuestas, homoclinal ridges, or hogbacks depending on the angle of dip of the strata. The greater the difference in the resistance to erosion, the more pronounced the structural control and relief between valley and ridge crest.


Etymology

According to Whitney in 1890Whitney, WD (1890) ''The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: An Encyclopedia Lexicon of the English Language.'' vol. VI, The Century Company, New York, New York. and Kelley in 1955,Kelley VC (1955
''Monoclines of the Colorado Plateau.''
Geological Society of America Bulletin. 66(7):789-804.
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
used the term ''uniclinal'' prior to 1843 to describe to strata dipping uniformly in one direction. Later in 1843, Rogers and RogersRogers, WB, and HD Rogers (1843) ''On the physical structure of the Appalachian chain, as exemplifying the laws which regulated the elevation of great mountain chains generally.'' Association of Geographers and Naturalists. 1:474-531. created the term ''monocline'' and used it to describe beds dipping uniformly in one direction within the
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
. However, starting with Powell in 1873,Powell, JW (1873) ''Geological structure of a Grand Canyon of the Colorado.'' American Journal of Science 3rd series, 5(5):456-465. geologists also used ''monocline'' to specifically describe a step-like fold in otherwise uniformly dipping strata while other geologists still used it to describe beds dipping uniformly in one direction. Thus, the term ''monocline'' was used to describe both beds dipping in one direction and a one-limbed flexure with different authors making incompatible distinctions between them. Because of this confused usage of ''monocline'', DalyDaly, RA (1915) ''A Geological Reconnaissance between Golden and Kamloops, B.C., along the Canadian Pacific Railway.'' memoir no. 68. Canada Geological Survey, Canada department of Mines, Ottawa, Canada. 260 pp.Daly, RA (1916) ''Homocline and Monocline.'' Geological Society of America Bulletin 27:89-92. formally introduced the term ''homocline'' and in 1915 and 1916 defined it in its current usage and redefined ''monocline'' as a one-limbed flexure as it is currently used.


References

{{Structural geology Structural geology Geomorphology