<p>Just a heads up, but the terminology ('four-way closure', 'pericline') both you and the other responder are using are either pretty antiquated or some sort of petroleum geology 'shop talk'.</p>
<p>A four-way closure would more commonly be referred to as a dome by structural geologists. You can think of a dome as a type of anticline that is doubly plunging in such a way that the wavelength of folding along what we might normally call its hinge is approximately equal to that of its wavelength in the direction perpendicular to its hinge. In simpler terms, it is essentially an equant 'mound' that may be formed either by domal uplift of sediment or magma, or by two superimposed and mutually perpendicular generations of folds.</p>
<p>The term 'pericline' mentioned by the previous user rarely refers to a doubly plunging anticline that is elongate in one direction (i.e., not an ideal dome). Structural geologists would almost always refer to this simply as a doubly plunging anticline.</p>
<p>I am not familiar with seismic imaging techniques, but intuitively it would seem that a dome or four-way closure would show up as an anticline of equal openness in two perpendicular section images; if it were just an anticline, it would only appear folded in one orientation.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-27T04:22:51.837Z
2022-09-27T04:22:51.837Z
desander
<p>I understand the term &quot;four-way closure&quot; to be a dome (structural). If that is what you mean...</p>
<p>In that case the 2 structures are similar, but domes are rather symmetrical, whiles anticlines are very asymmetrical, to the extend that we only consider them having to limbs. Although technically speaking anticlines have four, just like domes. Those limbs are called periclines. It's all just convention, both four-way closures and anticlines are folded structures that have an &quot;ending&quot; at some point, it's just that four-way closures are more symmetrical.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-06T17:38:25.710Z
2020-09-06T17:38:25.710Z
Mr.inquisitive
<p>I am a little bit confused on the two concepts in structural geology, i.e., what is the relationship of anticline and four-way closure. My understanding is that anticline belongs to four-way closure. Is that right? I did not find any materials that discusses the relationship of these two concept. In the context of seismic image, are there distinguished features that can single out four-way closure?</p>

<geology><petrology><structural-geology>
regarding four-way closure in structural geology
user297850
# regarding four-way closure in structural geology

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-30)

I am a little bit confused on the two concepts in structural geology, i.e., what is the relationship of anticline and four-way closure. My understanding is that anticline belongs to four-way closure. Is that right? I did not find any materials that discusses the relationship of these two concept. In the context of seismic image, are there distinguished features that can single out four-way closure?

**Tags:** geology, petrology, structural-geology


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-09-27. Score: 1

Just a heads up, but the terminology ('four-way closure', 'pericline') both you and the other responder are using are either pretty antiquated or some sort of petroleum geology 'shop talk'.

A four-way closure would more commonly be referred to as a dome by structural geologists. You can think of a dome as a type of anticline that is doubly plunging in such a way that the wavelength of folding along what we might normally call its hinge is approximately equal to that of its wavelength in the direction perpendicular to its hinge. In simpler terms, it is essentially an equant 'mound' that may be formed either by domal uplift of sediment or magma, or by two superimposed and mutually perpendicular generations of folds.

The term 'pericline' mentioned by the previous user rarely refers to a doubly plunging anticline that is elongate in one direction (i.e., not an ideal dome). Structural geologists would almost always refer to this simply as a doubly plunging anticline.

I am not familiar with seismic imaging techniques, but intuitively it would seem that a dome or four-way closure would show up as an anticline of equal openness in two perpendicular section images; if it were just an anticline, it would only appear folded in one orientation.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-09-06. Score: 0

I understand the term "four-way closure" to be a dome (structural). If that is what you mean...

In that case the 2 structures are similar, but domes are rather symmetrical, whiles anticlines are very asymmetrical, to the extend that we only consider them having to limbs. Although technically speaking anticlines have four, just like domes. Those limbs are called periclines. It's all just convention, both four-way closures and anticlines are folded structures that have an "ending" at some point, it's just that four-way closures are more symmetrical.


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