File:Folding_of_alternate_layers_of_limestone_layers_with_chert_layers.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
A fold is a bend or wrinkle in rock layers that occurs when Earth's forces push and squeeze rock strata out of their original flat position. Folds matter because they help geologists understand how mountains form, locate valuable resources like oil and minerals, and interpret the powerful forces that have shaped Earth's crust over time.
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Folds of alternate layers of limestone and chert occur in Greece. The limestone and chert were originally deposited as flat layers on the floor of a deep sea basin. These folds were produced by Alpine deformation.
In structural geology, a fold is a stack of originally planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata, that are bent or curved ("folded") during permanent deformation. Folds in rocks vary in size from microscopic crinkles to mountain-sized folds. They occur as single isolated folds or in periodic sets (known as fold trains). Synsedimentary folds are those formed during sedimentary deposition.