Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
convolute bedding
References
Britannica AI Icon

convolute bedding

geology
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Convolute bedding is a type of sedimentary structure that forms from deformation shortly after sedimentation but before the sediment hardens into rock. These are non-tectonic features, meaning they are not caused by large-scale geological forces like metamorphism. Convolute bedding is characterized by complex, folded, or contorted layers within the sediment. This contortion is a result of the sediment's instability, often due to rapid deposition or changes in water content, leading to internal movement and deformation. These structures are typically observed in outcrop or large hand specimens of sedimentary rocks.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. sedimentary rock - Types
  2. sedimentary rock - Deformation structures
  3. sedimentary rock - Bedding-plane features

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.