geosyncline

American  

[jee-oh-sin-klahyn] / ˌdʒi oʊˈsɪn klaɪn /

noun

Geology.

1. a portion of the earth's crust subjected to downward warping during a large span of geologic time; a geosynclinal fold.

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geosyncline British  

/ ˌdʒiːəʊˈsɪŋklaɪn /

noun

1. a broad elongated depression in the earth's crust containing great thicknesses of sediment

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geosyncline Scientific  

/ jē′ō-sĭn′klīn′ /

1. A usually elongate, basinlike depression along the edge of a continent, in which a thick sequence of sediments and volcanic deposits has accumulated.

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Other Word Forms

• geosynclinal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of geosyncline

First recorded in 1890–95; geo- + syncline

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

geosyncline

Proponents of the geosyncline theory of mountain formation, and there were many well into the 1960s, also had the problem of explaining the intercontinental terrestrial fossil matchups.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

This view incorporated a mechanism for creation of mountain chains known as the geosyncline theory.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Extensive geosynclinal deposits exist around much of the coastline of most of the continents; there is a large geosyncline along the eastern edge of North America.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The process of converting a geosyncline into a mountain belt was never really adequately explained, although it was widely believed that mountain belts formed when geosynclines were compressed by forces pushing from either side.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

For long ages and through a succession of geological epochs, sedimentation had proceeded so that the accumulations of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic times had collected in the geosyncline formed by their own ever increasing weight.

From The Birth-Time of the World and Other Scientific Essays by John Joly