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Evolution of localized folding patterns in layered elastic and visco-elastic materials is reviewed in the context of compressed geological systems. The thin strut or plate embedded in a visco-elastic medium is used as an archetypal example to describe localized buckles which, in contrast to those from earlier formulations, appear in the absence of triggering imperfections. Structural and material effects are surveyed and important nonlinear characteristics are identified. A brief review of possible methods of analysis is conducted.

An elastic layer resting on a viscoelastic (Maxwell) foundation is used to model the initiation and subsequent development of a geological fold. This study focuses on the effect of nonlinear terms, of both geometric and material origin, in the formulation of the governing differential equation. The result, during the initial elastic phase of deformation, is to admit the infinite variety of shapes familiar to the field of localized buckling. Their continued effect during the evolutionary phase allows the development of nonperiodic forms hitherto ignored by linear stability analyses. Numerical results are presented for two viscoelastic models subjected to loading conditions of constant end displacement and constant rate of end displacement.

Evolution of localized folding patterns in layered elastic and visco-elastic materials is reviewed in the context of compressed geological systems. The thin strut or plate embedded in a visco-elastic medium is used as an archetypal example to describe localized buckles which, in contrast to those from earlier formulations, appear in the absence of triggering imperfections. Structural and material effects are surveyed and important nonlinear characteristics are identified. A brief review of possible methods of analysis is conducted.