Cross section (geology)

The features described in a cross section can include rock units, faults, topography, and more.

[1][2] A cross section is drawn as a vertical map, as if the ground had been cut open and exposed along a given line.

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.

[2] Because much of the extrapolated information cannot be directly observed, there is an inherent amount of uncertainty about the accuracy of the final product.

An example of a geologic cross section
A cross section of the Anadarko Basin . The letters A and B at the top correspond to the line labeled A--B on the smaller map. In this example, the vertical scale is exaggerated compared to the horizontal scale.
An example cross section of an anticline with a dike cutting through, with the map of its surface expression showing strike and dip information