Figure 12.30

Anticlinal ridges and synclinal valleys. (A) Like a rug left rumpled on the floor when its two ends have been pushed toward each other, Earth’s crust deforms into synclinal and anticlinal folds when it is compressed. (B) An anticlinal ridge and a synclinal valley are visible in this satellite image of the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. These folds are a result of collision between the Arabian and Eurasian plates.

(B. EROS Center, U.S. Geological Survey)