A very simple visualization of rock folding.
![](https://mirjamglessmer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/how_mountains_form-300x213-1.png)
Stress is being applied to a piece of fabric from two sides. Over panels 1 to 4, “mountains” start forming.
See? When I said “very simple” I meant “very simple”. But it does help explain why sometimes rock layers are not nice and horizontal.
![](https://mirjamglessmer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/img_4207-1.png)
Oceanography teachers investigating rock formations on one of the field trips of the “teaching oceanography” workshop in San Francisco in 2013.
This demo works really well with a piece of paper towel, too, especially if that is grabbed from a dispenser in the lecture theatre during the lecture and hence the impression is conveyed that it is a spontaneous visualization rather than one that was carefully planned…