page_title: 3D fold evolution
section_title: Mode of linkage
hierarchical_section_title: 3D fold evolution / Fold linkage / Mode of linkage
caption_attribution_description: English: En-echelon fold linkage. Brown line: fold hinge line; Red arrow: direction of lateral fold growth. The two growing folds are linked by a curved saddle.
context_page_description: In geology, 3D fold evolution is the study of the full three dimensional structure of a fold as it changes in time. A fold is a common three-dimensional geological structure that is associated with strain deformation under stress. Fold evolution in three dimensions can be broadly divided into two stages, namely fold growth and fold linkage. The evolution depends on fold kinematics, causes of folding, as well as alignment and interaction of the each structure with respect to each other. There are several ways to reconstruct the evolution progress of folds, notably by using depositional evidence, geomorphological evidence and balanced restoration. Understanding the evolution of folds is important because it helps petroleum geologists to gain a better understanding on the distribution of structural traps of hydrocarbon.
caption: Fig. 16
  Brown line: fold hinge line;
  Red arrow: direction of lateral fold growth.