what causes rock layers to tilt or incline?
Plate tectonics, earthquakes ...
http://www.google.com/search?q=plate+tectonics&biw=1440&bih=718&tbm=isch&imgil=bSZ-j7Vj7xxI1M%253A%253B63PsD3Mc70OaIM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%25252Fwiki%25252FPlate_tectonics&source=iu&pf=m&fir=bSZ-j7Vj7xxI1M%253A%252C63PsD3Mc70OaIM%252C_&usg=__b6HJHEz5NJnWLvOOKDEMRi-rEZQ%3D&ved=0CCUQyjc&ei=patXVZTiI4XdsAWKoYGwBg#imgrc=bSZ-j7Vj7xxI1M%253A%3B63PsD3Mc70OaIM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fupload.wikimedia.org%252Fwikipedia%252Fcommons%252F4%252F40%252FTectonic_plate_boundaries.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fen.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FPlate_tectonics%3B775%3B429
Tectonic activity.
http://www.ehow.com/info_12141180_causes-geologic-tilting.html
what about volcano activity isn't it caused tilting?
http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/province/pacifmt.html
The tilting or inclination of rock layers is primarily caused by tectonic forces and processes, such as plate tectonics.
To understand how tectonic forces cause rock layers to tilt, we need to first grasp the concept of plate tectonics. The Earth's lithosphere, which includes the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust, is divided into several large plates. These plates move relative to each other due to convection currents beneath the Earth's surface.
When two plates collide or interact, a variety of tectonic activities occur. One common tectonic activity is known as compression, which happens when plates converge towards each other. Compression generates intense forces that can cause rocks to fold or fracture.
In geological terms, an inclined or tilted rock layer is referred to as a "fold." Folds occur when rocks experience compressive stresses that result in bending or warping. Several types of folds can form, including anticlines (upward folds) and synclines (downward folds), depending on the orientation and direction of the forces involved.
Additionally, tectonic forces can also cause faults, which are fractures or cracks in the Earth's crust. Faults can result in the uplift and tilting of rock layers as one block of rock slides past another along the fault plane.
Overall, the tilting or inclination of rock layers is a result of the dynamic movement and interaction of Earth's tectonic plates.