Cross section (geology)

Description

A cross section is drawn as a vertical map, as if the ground had been cut open and exposed along a given line. Various lines, colors, patterns, and symbols are used to represent different rock sections and features. Because the length of the studied area is often much greater than the depth, the diagram's scale can be vertically exaggerated to emphasize the depth or height of features and make them more visible. 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. This can include data from the surface, subsurface, and existing geological maps. Analyzed data can include rock samples, structure orientation, boreholes, relationships between structures, seismic surveys, etc. Because much of the extrapolated information cannot be directly observed, there is an inherent amount of uncertainty about the accuracy of the final product.