What does monocline mean?
A monocline is a large, one-sided fold in the Earth's crust. It forms where layers of sedimentary rock are bent so that they dip steadily in one direction, while the beds themselves remain broadly parallel. Unlike an anticline or syncline, which are two-sided folds, a monocline resembles a single sloping limb of a much larger fold. Monoclines can extend across considerable areas and may become important sites for oil, groundwater, tunnels, or other activities because they alter the structure and orientation of the rock layers. The word is principally used by geologists and related specialists, so it is uncommon in everyday English. Despite its technical character, it is a useful term for distinguishing a unidirectional fold from the familiar arch-and-trough forms represented by anticlines and synclines.
nounA broad, one-sided fold in rock layers in which the strata dip in a single direction. The beds are otherwise generally parallel, making the structure distinct from a two-sided fold.
- A one-sided geological fold or structural feature in which rock strata dip consistently in one direction.
"The geologists mapped a large monocline running across the eastern foothills."
"Erosion exposed the monocline as a long ridge running north to south."
"The survey identified a monocline along the edge of the sedimentary basin."
The usual plural in geological descriptions.
"Several monoclines were identified along the edge of the plateau."
A monocline is geology's one-way slope: immense layers of rock folded until they descend in just one direction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does monocline come from?
The word combines the Greek prefix mono-, meaning “single,” with the Greek root klinē, meaning “slope” or “bed,” together expressing the idea of a single slope. Its related English cognates include incline, decline, declination, and declivity, all of which derive from Latin forms of the same root. The geological meaning developed as a name for a fold with only one visibly descending side.
Related word forms
How monocline is actually used
This is specialist terminology used chiefly in geology, geophysics, and structural mapping. It is usually countable, and in general prose a specific geological structure or feature is more appropriate.
Easily confused with monocline
A monocline is a noun naming a one-sided geological fold, whereas monoclinal is an adjective describing rocks or structures associated with such a fold.
Monocline refers to folded rock strata, while monoclinic describes a crystal system in which the three axes are unequal, with two at right angles.