What geological process involves bending and deforming beds of rocks?

The geological process that involves bending and deforming beds of rocks is known as folding. This occurs when tectonic forces act on rocks, causing them to bend without breaking. Folding typically results from compressive stress and can create various geological formations, such as anticlines (upward folds) and synclines (downward folds). This process is essential in understanding the structural geology of an area, as it reflects the historical stresses and strains the Earth's crust has undergone.

Other geological processes like fracturing, faulting, and subduction involve different mechanisms; for example, fracturing refers to the breaking of rocks into pieces, faulting describes the movement along fractures, and subduction is the process of one tectonic plate being forced beneath another. Each of these processes is distinct and contributes to the dynamic nature of Earth's geology, but folding specifically pertains to the bending and deforming of rock layers.