In geology, a cross section, also known as a geologic(al) section, is a diagram representing the geologic features intersecting a vertical plane.
Description
editA cross section is drawn as a vertical map, as if the ground had been cut open and exposed along a given line. Various lines, colors, patterns, and symbols are used to represent different rock sections and features. Because the length of the studied area is often much greater than the depth, the diagram's scale can be vertically exaggerated to emphasize the depth or height of features and make them more visible. The plane a cross section illustrates is typically labeled as a line on a map of the surrounding region.
Cross sections are made by interpreting and extrapolating a broad range of information about a region's geological characteristics. This can include data from the surface, subsurface, and existing geological maps. Analyzed data can include rock samples, structure orientation, boreholes, relationships between structures, seismic surveys, etc.[1] Because much of the extrapolated information cannot be directly observed, there is an inherent amount of uncertainty about the accuracy of the final product.[2][3]
Terminology
editUses
editIt is used to illustrate an area's structure and stratigraphy that would otherwise be hidden underground. The features described in a cross section can include rock units, faults, topography, and more. They often accompany geological maps, complementing the overhead view with a side-on view, which can help to visualize the three-dimensional structure of the region and clarify the relationships between features.[8][1]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 "The geological cross-sections. Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya". www.icgc.cat. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ↑ Randle, Charles H.; Bond, Clare E.; Lark, R. Murray; Monaghan, Alison A. (24 April 2018). "Can uncertainty in geological cross-section interpretations be quantified and predicted?" (PDF). Geosphere. 14 (3): 1087–1100. Bibcode:2018Geosp..14.1087R. doi:10.1130/GES01510.1. hdl:2164/10441. ISSN 1553-040X. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026.
- ↑ Lark, R. M.; Thorpe, S.; Kessler, H.; Mathers, S. J. (17 July 2014). "Expert modelling of a geological cross-section from boreholes: sources of uncertainty and their quantification" (PDF). Solid Earth Discussions. 6 (2): 1687. Bibcode:2014SolED...6.1687L. doi:10.5194/sed-6-1687-2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2021.
- ↑ "16.1: Introduction to Geological Maps and Cross-sections". Geosciences LibreTexts. 16 June 2021. Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ↑ Genge, Matthew J. "14 – Geological cross-sections". Geological Field Sketches and Illustrations: A Practical Guide (PDF). Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ↑ "Geological sections, 1817-1819". Geological sections. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ↑ Marjoribanks, Roger W. (1997). "Geological Mapping in Exploration". Geological Methods in Mineral Exploration and Mining (PDF). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. p. 9–30. doi:10.1007/978-94-011-5822-0_2. ISBN 978-94-010-6459-0. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ↑ Stieglitz, Ronald D. (1988). "Cross-sections". General Geology (PDF). Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. pp. 100–103. doi:10.1007/0-387-30844-x_21. ISBN 0-442-22499-0. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 14 November 2021.