A. Block diagram of the Comb Ridge monocline. Deep, underlying rock layers ruptured along a compressional fault (blind thrust), pushing the rocks in the west much higher than those in the east. Overlying rocks, not ruptured by the deep fault, deformed by folding over the ruptured layers, creating a monocline.
B. The steep cliffs common on one side of many monoclines are mainly the result of stream erosion. Stream flow in Comb Wash played a significant role in eroding away hundreds of feet of rock, carving the beautiful sandstone cliffs on Comb Ridge’s west side. Aerial images from Google Earth.