Today’s list____________

Ch15: Rock Deformation

1)Mapping geologic structures

2)How rocks get deformed

3) Folds
 Study questions____________
Ch15: Rock Deformation
·
What type of tectonic forces makes a normal fault?
A reverse fault? A strike slip fault?

What is the difference between brittle and ductile

deformation?

What are the strike and dip angle of a deformation?

What is the shape of an anticline, syncline, and

what is the relative age of rocks exposed?

What type of deformation is the San Andreas Fault?

The mid-ocean ridge?
 1) Mapping geologic structures

Deformational processes create faults, folds, joints

rock structures

Visible when rock beds are exposed at surface

out crops
1) Mapping geologic structures

 Strike and dip

TSP 15.8
1) Mapping geologic structures

 Strike and dip

Strike Compass bearing of a rock layer

relative to North

Dip Angle of tilt of a bed from a horizontal

plane

Fig.11.4
1) Mapping geologic structures

N 75 E
2) How rocks become deformed

Confining pressure: force equal in all directions

Differential stress: force not equal in all directions
2) How rocks become deformed
Response to differential stress
1. Elastic deformation – the rock returns to nearly its original size and
shape when the stress is removed
2. Brittle deformation 3. Ductile deformation
rocks crack/fracture rocks flow

Shallow in crust Deeper down

 2) How rocks become deformed

Fault definition: a fracture where displacement has occurred:

rocks on either side of fault have moved relative to each other.
 2) How rocks become deformed

Fault definition: a fracture where displacement has occurred:

rocks on either side of fault have moved relative to each other.
Joints

Fractures where no
slip has occurred

Not same as a fault!

Why?

Slip happens on faults!

2) How rocks become deformed- brittle materials

Differential stress: force not equal in all directions

Compressive forces:
shortening
2) How rocks become deformed- brittle materials

Differential stress: force not equal in all directions

Tensional forces:
stretching
2) How rocks become deformed- brittle materials

Differential stress: force not equal in all directions

Shearing forces:
shearing
2) How rocks become deformed - brittle materials
2) How rocks become deformed - brittle materials

Fig. 11.13

Rift valleys are the result of tensional forces in

the crust, creating a series of normal faults.

The downfaulted blocks result in a Rift Valley.

2) How rocks become deformed - brittle materials

St. Andreas fault is an

example for a strike-slip
fault

Because it is a plate
boundary, it is also a
transform fault

Fig. 11.10
Fault System Example : San Andreas
2) How rocks become deformed- ductile materials

Differential stress: force not equal in all directions

Compressive forces: Tensional forces: Shearing forces:

shortening stretching Shearing/bending
 3) How rocks fold
 series of wavelike undulations of once-flat rock layers

 many sizes: microscopic to 100’s of meters

compressive stresses: shorten+thicken crust

3) Folds

Anticlines fold upward… Synclines fold downward…

Fig. Story 11.16

3) Folds
horizontal and plunging
anticline

Plunging fold:

axis of fold
penetrates into Fig. 11.16
the ground
 Plunging anticlines and
synclines

See Fig. 11.17

3) Folds
 Types of folds
Symmetrical, asymmetrical, overturning,
plunging…..
 Other deformations
dome - circular
upwarping (anticlinal
structure)
basin - circular
downwarping (synclinal
structure)
Fig 11.19