Archive - Thrust Faulting and Folding in the Chitano River Valley of Colombia
November 18, 2018
Each Sunday we present a notable item from our archives. This EPOD was originally published November 17, 2012.
Photographer: Hector Fonseca
Summary Authors: Hector Fonseca; Jim Foster
The photo above shows sequences of Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene epoch strata in the Chitano River Valley of Colombia -- between about 7,000 ft and 10,500 ft (2,134 m and 3,200 m) above sea level. Layers of sandstone, claystone and coal have been identified. These sedimentary layers have been cut in places by an overthrust fault -- a break in the Earth's crust where lower strata rocks are forced up above higher ones. Folding is also prominent here. Thrust-and-fold belts often form in proximity to where tectonic plates collide -- in this case the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate. Photo taken on May 8, 2011.
Photo Details: Camera: SONY DSC-HX9V; Lens: 4.28-68.48mm f/3.3-5.9; Focal Length: 12.53mm; Aperture: f/4.5; Exposure Time: 0.0031 s (1/320); ISO equiv: 100.
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