Types of Unconformities

nonconformity

a break that separates older metamorphic or intrusive igneous rocks from younger sedimentary strata

unconformity

a long period during which deposition ceased, erosion removed previously formed rocks, and then deposition resumed

paraconformity

a type of unconformity in which strata are parallel, there is no apparent erosion, and the unconformity surface resembles a simple bedding plane

disconformity

a type of unconformity in which the sedimentary layers above and below the unconformity are parallel

conformable

layers of rock that have been deposited essentially without interruption

hiatus

the interval of geologic time that is not represented in an unconformity

angular unconformity

tilted or folded sedimentary rocks overlain by younger, more flat-lying strata