anticline

[ an-ti-klahyn ]

noun

, Geology.

1. an anticlinal rock structure.

anticline

/ ˈæntɪˌklaɪn /

noun

1. a formation of stratified rock raised up, by folding, into a broad arch so that the strata slope down on both sides from a common crest Compare syncline

anticline

/ ăn′tĭ-klīn′ /

1. A fold of rock layers that slope downward on both sides of a common crest. Anticlines form when rocks are compressed by plate-tectonic forces. They can be as small as a hill or as large as a mountain range.
2. Compare syncline

Word History and Origins

Origin of anticline¹

First recorded in 1860–65; back formation from anticlinal

Example Sentences

The harsh, high-desert anticline is almost as big as Delaware and home to such wildness and alien-looking geology that the Mars Society has built a Mars Desert Research Station there.

From Washington Post

Denbury is targeting oil fields within the Cedar Creek Anticline Area that straddles the border.

From Washington Times

Cedar Creek Anticline has potential reserves of 260 million to 290 million barrels of oil, Mayer said.

From Seattle Times

The $150 million pipeline would begin near the Wyoming border and stretch 110 miles to the Cedar Creek Anticline, an aging oil field near Baker, Montana, Denbury Resources spokesman John Mayer said.

From Seattle Times

The nearby Jonah and Pinedale Anticline fields in western Wyoming rank among the 10 most productive onshore U.S. gas fields.

From Seattle Times