Virgation of Folds
Virgation of Folds
in geology, the fan-shaped branching of a bunch of fissionable folds of rock accompanied by the gradual accumulation of fold joints. Virgations are usually observed in places at the end of folded structures. For example, the Northern Tien-Shan at its western edge has a fan of folds forming the Chu-Iliiskii, Karatau, and Chatkal’skii ranges, and the Gissar-Alai ends on the west with the fanlike branching folds of the Nuratau Range and the ranges of the Tadzhik depression and the Darvaza.