A series of experiments is described in which layered specimens were shorte
ned parallel to the layering. The specimens comprise two salt (NaCl) layers
sandwiched between three layers of salt-mica synthetic schist. All specime
ns were prepared and deformed under the same conditions, except for the amo
unt of shortening, which was varied. The resulting fold-shapes are variable
, even where the amounts of shortening are the same. In one specimen, folds
are believed to have developed essentially by buckling with very little co
ncomitant bulk homogeneous shortening perpendicular to the axial-plane. The
specimen lacks an axial-plane foliation. Other folds are believed to have
experienced varying amounts of bulk homogeneous shortening before and durin
g buckling, and all have axial-plane foliations that have developed by grai
n-scale transposition of the original bedding-parallel mica foliation. The
difference in the behaviour of the various specimens is explained in terms
of initial perturbations. These irregularities take the form of initial def
lections in the almost planar bedding, variation in the degree of preferred
orientation of the mica grains, and local compositional variation within i
ndividual salt-mica layers. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser
ved.