What is a strike-valley? - Cars & Trucks

First, you have to know what a strike is. Picture a flat rock laying on the level ground. Tilt it. The strike is the direction of the rock related to the level ground. The small angle between the rock and the level ground is called the dip.

Now, rocks are often in layers. When that layer is at a tilt to the horizontal plane, that is a strike. It is a tilt but it is underground in this image.

Now, go back up to the first description of strike, the rock tilted against the flat earth. If you had a mirror image of it on the other side, it would form a V. If earth were piled underneath the wings of that V, and each wing was hundred of feet high, you would be looking at a strike valley. The sides of such a valley are layers of rock tilted at an angle to the horizontal (flat) earth. Geologist describe the valley as being parallel to the strike.