In cross-section, a dome resembles an anticline. A basin is a structure where the layers of rock dip toward a central point. A basin most resembles a syncline. Domes and anticlines are important structures for geologists who search for oil and gas. These structures form traps where the petroleum collects and is unable to migrate into surrounding rock making it possible for oil and gas companies to extract the petroleum.
Geologic structures are the result of plastic deformation on rocks.
The rocks will bend, but do not break. There are two main types of structures, anticlines that fold downward, and synclines that fold upward. These geologic structures can be found in a variety of places, sometimes obvious as mountains and sometimes hidden by erosion as flat terrain. The study of geologic structures is important to petroleum geologists who use domes and anticlines in their search for oil and gas. The fold opens downward.