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66-556: In structural geology , a fold is a stack of originally planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata , that are bent or curved ( "folded" ) during permanent deformation . Folds in rocks vary in size from microscopic crinkles to mountain-sized folds. They occur as single isolated folds or in periodic sets (known as fold trains ). Synsedimentary folds are those formed during sedimentary deposition. Folds form under varied conditions of stress , pore pressure , and temperature gradient , as evidenced by their presence in soft sediments ,

132-1167: A hydrocarbons trap , oil accumulating in the crest of the fold. Most anticlinal traps are produced as a result of sideways pressure, folding the layers of rock, but can also occur from sediments being compacted. Structural geology The study of geologic structures has been of prime importance in economic geology , both petroleum geology and mining geology . Folded and faulted rock strata commonly form traps that accumulate and concentrate fluids such as petroleum and natural gas . Similarly, faulted and structurally complex areas are notable as permeable zones for hydrothermal fluids, resulting in concentrated areas of base and precious metal ore deposits. Veins of minerals containing various metals commonly occupy faults and fractures in structurally complex areas. These structurally fractured and faulted zones often occur in association with intrusive igneous rocks . They often also occur around geologic reef complexes and collapse features such as ancient sinkholes . Deposits of gold , silver , copper , lead , zinc , and other metals, are commonly located in structurally complex areas. Structural geology

198-442: A petrographic microscope . Microstructural analysis finds application also in multi-scale statistical analysis, aimed to analyze some rock features showing scale invariance. Geologists use rock geometry measurements to understand the history of strain in rocks. Strain can take the form of brittle faulting and ductile folding and shearing. Brittle deformation takes place in the shallow crust, and ductile deformation takes place in

264-406: A changed structure. Elastic deformation refers to a reversible deformation. In other words, when stress on the rock is released, the rock returns to its original shape. Reversible, linear, elasticity involves the stretching, compressing, or distortion of atomic bonds. Because there is no breaking of bonds, the material springs back when the force is released. This type of deformation is modeled using

330-514: A combination of structural geology and geomorphology . In addition, areas of karst landscapes which reside atop caverns, potential sinkholes, or other collapse features are of particular importance for these scientists. In addition, areas of steep slopes are potential collapse or landslide hazards. Environmental geologists and hydrogeologists need to apply the tenets of structural geology to understand how geologic sites impact (or are impacted by) groundwater flow and penetration. For instance,

396-401: A fold axial plane is measured in strike and dip or dip and dip direction. Lineations are measured in terms of dip and dip direction, if possible. Often lineations occur expressed on a planar surface and can be difficult to measure directly. In this case, the lineation may be measured from the horizontal as a rake or pitch upon the surface. Rake is measured by placing a protractor flat on

462-419: A fold axis is called a cylindrical fold . This term has been broadened to include near-cylindrical folds. Often, the fold axis is the same as the hinge line. Minor folds are quite frequently seen in outcrop; major folds seldom are except in the more arid countries. Minor folds can, however, often provide the key to the major folds they are related to. They reflect the same shape and style, the direction in which

528-637: A framework to analyze and understand global, regional, and local scale features. Structural geologists use a variety of methods to (first) measure rock geometries, (second) reconstruct their deformational histories, and (third) estimate the stress field that resulted in that deformation. Primary data sets for structural geology are collected in the field. Structural geologists measure a variety of planar features ( bedding planes , foliation planes , fold axial planes, fault planes , and joints), and linear features (stretching lineations, in which minerals are ductilely extended; fold axes; and intersection lineations,

594-492: A gradational continuum from cuestas through homoclinal ridges to hogbacks. Less resistant beds are preferentially eroded creating valleys that lie between ridges created by the erosion of more resistant beds. For example, the erosion of homoclines consisting of resistant beds of either limestone, sandstone, or both interbedded with weaker, less resistant beds of either shale, siltstone, marl, or combination of them will produce either cuestas, homoclinal ridges, or hogbacks depending on

660-444: A hinge need to accommodate large deformations in the hinge zone. This results in voids between the layers. These voids, and especially the fact that the water pressure is lower in the voids than outside of them, act as triggers for the deposition of minerals. Over millions of years, this process is capable of gathering large quantities of trace minerals from large expanses of rock and depositing them at very concentrated sites. This may be

726-430: A hydrogeologist may need to determine if seepage of toxic substances from waste dumps is occurring in a residential area or if salty water is seeping into an aquifer . Plate tectonics is a theory developed during the 1960s which describes the movement of continents by way of the separation and collision of crustal plates. It is in a sense structural geology on a planet scale, and is used throughout structural geology as

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792-491: A letter (S A , for instance). In cases where there is a bedding-plane foliation caused by burial metamorphism or diagenesis this may be enumerated as S0a. If there are folds, these are numbered as F 1 , F 2 , etc. Generally the axial plane foliation or cleavage of a fold is created during folding, and the number convention should match. For example, an F 2 fold should have an S 2 axial foliation. Deformations are numbered according to their order of formation with

858-453: A linear relationship between stress and strain, i.e. a Hookean relationship. Where σ denotes stress, ϵ {\displaystyle \epsilon } denotes strain, and E is the elastic modulus , which is material dependent. The elastic modulus is, in effect, a measure of the strength of atomic bonds. Plastic deformation refers to non-reversible deformation. The relationship between stress and strain for permanent deformation

924-442: A material's resistance to cracking. During plastic deformation, a material absorbs energy until fracture occurs. The area under the stress-strain curve is the work required to fracture the material. The toughness modulus is defined as: Where σ U T S {\displaystyle \sigma _{UTS}} is the ultimate tensile strength, and ϵ f {\displaystyle \epsilon _{f}}

990-426: A mechanism that is responsible for the veins. To summarize, when searching for veins of valuable minerals, it might be wise to look for highly folded rock, and this is the reason why the mining industry is very interested in the theory of geological folding. Anticlinal traps are formed by folding of rock. For example, if a porous sandstone unit covered with low permeability shale is folded into an anticline, it may form

1056-468: A mutually exclusive manner as a synonym for either a homocline or monocline depending the author. The meaning of this term has been further confused by Grabau, who redefined uniclinal, not as a geological structure, but as a general term for ridges produced by erosion of anticlines . The erosion of tilted sequences of either stratified sedimentary or igneous rock, homoclines, of alternating resistance to erosion produce distinctive landforms that form

1122-621: A planar detachment without further fault propagation, detachment folds may form, typically of box-fold style. These generally occur above a good detachment such as in the Jura Mountains , where the detachment occurs on middle Triassic evaporites . Shear zones that approximate to simple shear typically contain minor asymmetric folds, with the direction of overturning consistent with the overall shear sense. Some of these folds have highly curved hinge-lines and are referred to as sheath folds . Folds in shear zones can be inherited, formed due to

1188-442: A rake, and annotated as to the indication of throw on the fault. Generally it is easier to record strike and dip information of planar structures in dip/dip direction format as this will match all the other structural information you may be recording about folds, lineations, etc., although there is an advantage to using different formats that discriminate between planar and linear data. The convention for analysing structural geology

1254-491: A single direction having the same general inclination in terms of direction and angle. A homocline can be associated with either one limb of a fold , the edges of a dome , the coast-ward tilted strata underlying a coastal plain , slice of thrust fault , or a tilted fault block . When the homoclinal strata consists of alternating layers of rock that vary hardness and resistance to erosion , their erosion produces either cuestas , homoclinal ridges , or hogbacks depending on

1320-541: A strong axial planar cleavage . Folds in the rock are formed about the stress field in which the rocks are located and the rheology , or method of response to stress, of the rock at the time at which the stress is applied. The rheology of the layers being folded determines characteristic features of the folds that are measured in the field. Rocks that deform more easily form many short-wavelength, high-amplitude folds. Rocks that do not deform as easily form long-wavelength, low-amplitude folds. Layers of rock that fold into

1386-440: A subscript S, for example L s1 to differentiate them from intersection lineations, though this is generally redundant. Stereographic projection is a method for analyzing the nature and orientation of deformation stresses, lithological units and penetrative fabrics wherein linear and planar features (structural strike and dip readings, typically taken using a compass clinometer ) passing through an imagined sphere are plotted on

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1452-433: A thrust fault cuts up section from one detachment level to another. Displacement over this higher-angle ramp generates the folding. Fault propagation folds or tip-line folds are caused when displacement occurs on an existing fault without further propagation. In both reverse and normal faults this leads to folding of the overlying sequence, often in the form of a monocline . When a thrust fault continues to displace above

1518-431: A two-dimensional grid projection, facilitating more holistic analysis of a set of measurements. Stereonet developed by Richard W. Allmendinger is widely used in the structural geology community. On a large scale, structural geology is the study of the three-dimensional interaction and relationships of stratigraphic units within terranes of rock or geological regions. This branch of structural geology deals mainly with

1584-475: Is a critical part of engineering geology , which is concerned with the physical and mechanical properties of natural rocks. Structural fabrics and defects such as faults, folds, foliations and joints are internal weaknesses of rocks which may affect the stability of human engineered structures such as dams , road cuts, open pit mines and underground mines or road tunnels . Geotechnical risk, including earthquake risk can only be investigated by inspecting

1650-406: Is a measure of the elastic energy absorbed of a material under stress. In other words, the external work performed on a material during deformation. The area under the elastic portion of the stress-strain curve is the strain energy absorbed per unit volume. The resilience modulus is defined as: where σ y {\displaystyle \sigma _{y}} is the yield strength of

1716-423: Is absolute. Dip direction is measured in 360 degrees, generally clockwise from North. For example, a dip of 45 degrees towards 115 degrees azimuth, recorded as 45/115. Note that this is the same as above. The term hade is occasionally used and is the deviation of a plane from vertical i.e. (90°-dip). Fold axis plunge is measured in dip and dip direction (strictly, plunge and azimuth of plunge). The orientation of

1782-504: Is accommodated by slip between the pages of the book. The fold formed by the compression of competent rock beds is called "flexure fold". Typically, folding is thought to occur by simple buckling of a planar surface and its confining volume. The volume change is accommodated by layer parallel shortening the volume, which grows in thickness . Folding under this mechanism is typical of a similar fold style, as thinned limbs are shortened horizontally and thickened hinges do so vertically. If

1848-416: Is also a feature of many igneous intrusions and glacier ice. Folding of rocks must balance the deformation of layers with the conservation of volume in a rock mass. This occurs by several mechanisms. Flexural slip allows folding by creating layer-parallel slip between the layers of the folded strata, which, altogether, result in deformation. A good analogy is bending a phone book, where volume preservation

1914-444: Is becoming increasingly important. 2D and 3D models of structural systems such as anticlines, synclines, fold and thrust belts, and other features can help better understand the evolution of a structure through time. Without modeling or interpretation of the subsurface, geologists are limited to their knowledge of the surface geological mapping. If only reliant on the surface geology, major economic potential could be missed by overlooking

1980-420: Is nonlinear. Stress has caused permanent change of shape in the material by involving the breaking of bonds. One mechanism of plastic deformation is the movement of dislocations by an applied stress. Because rocks are essentially aggregates of minerals, we can think of them as poly-crystalline materials. Dislocations are a type of crystallographic defect which consists of an extra or missing half plane of atoms in

2046-424: Is relatively weak. When rock behaves as a fluid, as in the case of very weak rock such as rock salt, or any rock that is buried deeply enough, it typically shows flow folding (also called passive folding , because little resistance is offered): the strata appear shifted undistorted, assuming any shape impressed upon them by surrounding more rigid rocks. The strata simply serve as markers of the folding. Such folding

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2112-453: Is the midpoint of the limb. The axial surface is defined as a plane connecting all the hinge lines of stacked folded surfaces. If the axial surface is planar, it is called an axial plane and can be described in terms of strike and dip . Folds can have a fold axis . A fold axis "is the closest approximation to a straight line that when moved parallel to itself, generates the form of the fold". (Ramsay 1967). A fold that can be generated by

2178-480: Is the strain at failure. The modulus is the maximum amount of energy per unit volume a material can absorb without fracturing. From the equation for modulus, for large toughness, high strength and high ductility are needed. These two properties are usually mutually exclusive. Brittle materials have low toughness because low plastic deformation decreases the strain (low ductility). Ways to measure toughness include: Page impact machine and Charpy impact test . Resilience

2244-437: Is to identify the planar structures , often called planar fabrics because this implies a textural formation, the linear structures and, from analysis of these, unravel deformations . Planar structures are named according to their order of formation, with original sedimentary layering the lowest at S0. Often it is impossible to identify S0 in highly deformed rocks, so numbering may be started at an arbitrary number or given

2310-441: Is uniform in composition and structure, then the surface of the material is only a few atomic layers thick, and measurements are of the bulk material. Thus, simple surface measurements yield information about the bulk properties. Ways to measure hardness include: Indentation hardness is used often in metallurgy and materials science and can be thought of as resistance to penetration by an indenter. Toughness can be described best by

2376-587: The Appalachian Mountains . However, starting with Powell in 1873, geologists also used monocline to specifically describe a step-like fold in otherwise uniformly dipping strata while other geologists still used it to describe beds dipping uniformly in one direction. Thus, the term monocline was used to describe both beds dipping in one direction and a one-limbed flexure with different authors making incompatible distinctions between them. Because of this confused usage of monocline , Daly formally introduced

2442-440: The accommodation of strains between neighboring faults. Fault-bend folds are caused by displacement along a non-planar fault. In non-vertical faults, the hanging-wall deforms to accommodate the mismatch across the fault as displacement progresses. Fault bend folds occur in both extensional and thrust faulting. In extension, listric faults form rollover anticlines in their hanging walls. In thrusting, ramp anticlines form whenever

2508-514: The angle of dip of the strata. On a topographic map , the landfroms associated with homoclines exhibit nearly parallel elevation contour lines that show a steady change in elevation in a given direction. In the subsurface, they characterize by parallel structural contour lines. Unicline and Uniclinal are obsolete and currently uncommon terms that are defined and have been used by geologists and geomorphologists in an inconsistent and contradictory manner. They are terms that have been used in

2574-480: The angle of dip of the strata. The greater the difference in the resistance to erosion, the more pronounced the structural control and relief between valley and ridge crest. According to Whitney in 1890 and Kelley in 1955, Charles Darwin used the term uniclinal prior to 1843 to describe to strata dipping uniformly in one direction. Later in 1843, Rogers and Rogers created the term monocline and used it to describe beds dipping uniformly in one direction within

2640-493: The axis of the fold. Those with limbs of relatively equal length are termed symmetrical , and those with highly unequal limbs are asymmetrical . Asymmetrical folds generally have an axis at an angle to the original unfolded surface they formed on. Vergence is calculated in a direction perpendicular to the fold axis. Folds that maintain uniform layer thickness are classed as concentric folds. Those that do not are called similar folds . Similar folds tend to display thinning of

2706-411: The closures of the major folds lie, and their cleavage indicates the attitude of the axial planes of the major folds and their direction of overturning A fold can be shaped like a chevron , with planar limbs meeting at an angular axis, as cuspate with curved limbs, as circular with a curved axis, or as elliptical with unequal wavelength . Fold tightness is defined by the size of the angle between

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2772-487: The deeper crust, where temperatures and pressures are higher. By understanding the constitutive relationships between stress and strain in rocks, geologists can translate the observed patterns of rock deformation into a stress field during the geologic past. The following list of features are typically used to determine stress fields from deformational structures. For economic geology such as petroleum and mineral development, as well as research, modeling of structural geology

2838-408: The effects of a high-level igneous intrusion e.g. above a laccolith . The fold hinge is the line joining points of maximum curvature on a folded surface. This line may be either straight or curved. The term hinge line has also been used for this feature. A fold surface seen perpendicular to its shortening direction can be divided into hinge and limb portions; the limbs are the flanks of

2904-449: The fold's limbs (as measured tangential to the folded surface at the inflection line of each limb), called the interlimb angle. Gentle folds have an interlimb angle of between 180° and 120°, open folds range from 120° to 70°, close folds from 70° to 30°, and tight folds from 30° to 0°. Isoclines , or isoclinal folds , have an interlimb angle of between 10° and zero, with essentially parallel limbs. Not all folds are equal on both sides of

2970-409: The fold, and the limbs converge at the hinge zone. Within the hinge zone lies the hinge point, which is the point of minimum radius of curvature (maximum curvature) of the fold. The crest of the fold represents the highest point of the fold surface whereas the trough is the lowest point. The inflection point of a fold is the point on a limb at which the concavity reverses; on regular folds, this

3036-439: The folding deformation cannot be accommodated by a flexural slip or volume-change shortening (buckling), the rocks are generally removed from the path of the stress. This is achieved by pressure dissolution , a form of metamorphic process, in which rocks shorten by dissolving constituents in areas of high strain and redepositing them in areas of lower strain. Folds generated in this way include examples in migmatites and areas with

3102-467: The formation of structure of rock under the earth are the stress and strain fields. Stress is a pressure, defined as a directional force over area. When a rock is subjected to stresses, it changes shape. When the stress is released, the rock may or may not return to its original shape. That change in shape is quantified by strain, the change in length over the original length of the material in one dimension. Stress induces strain which ultimately results in

3168-471: The full spectrum of metamorphic rocks , and even as primary flow structures in some igneous rocks . A set of folds distributed on a regional scale constitutes a fold belt , a common feature of orogenic zones . Folds are commonly formed by shortening of existing layers, but may also be formed as a result of displacement on a non-planar fault ( fault bend fold ), at the tip of a propagating fault ( fault propagation fold ), by differential compaction or due to

3234-580: The intersection lineation of a S 1 cleavage and bedding is the L 1-0 intersection lineation (also known as the cleavage-bedding lineation). Stretching lineations may be difficult to quantify, especially in highly stretched ductile rocks where minimal foliation information is preserved. Where possible, when correlated with deformations (as few are formed in folds, and many are not strictly associated with planar foliations), they may be identified similar to planar surfaces and folds, e.g.; L 1 , L 2 . For convenience some geologists prefer to annotate them with

3300-401: The letter D denoting a deformation event. For example, D 1 , D 2 , D 3 . Folds and foliations, because they are formed by deformation events, should correlate with these events. For example, an F 2 fold, with an S 2 axial plane foliation would be the result of a D 2 deformation. Metamorphic events may span multiple deformations. Sometimes it is useful to identify them similarly to

3366-547: The limbs and thickening of the hinge zone. Concentric folds are caused by warping from active buckling of the layers, whereas similar folds usually form by some form of shear flow where the layers are not mechanically active. Ramsay has proposed a classification scheme for folds that often is used to describe folds in profile based upon the curvature of the inner and outer lines of a fold and the behavior of dip isogons . that is, lines connecting points of equal dip on adjacent folded surfaces: (A homocline involves strata dipping in

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3432-458: The material and E is the elastic modulus of the material. To increase resilience, one needs increased elastic yield strength and decreased modulus of elasticity. Homocline In structural geology , a homocline or homoclinal structure (from old Greek : homo  = same, cline = inclination), is a geological structure in which the layers of a sequence of rock strata , either sedimentary or igneous , dip uniformly in

3498-608: The mechanical layering and the contrast in properties between the layers. If the layering does begin to fold, the fold style is also dependent on these properties. Isolated thick competent layers in a less competent matrix control the folding and typically generate classic rounded buckle folds accommodated by deformation in the matrix. In the case of regular alternations of layers of contrasting properties, such as sandstone-shale sequences, kink-bands, box-folds and chevron folds are normally produced. Many folds are directly related to faults, associated with their propagation, displacement and

3564-631: The nature of rocks imaged to be in the deep crust. Rock microstructure or texture of rocks is studied by structural geologists on a small scale to provide detailed information mainly about metamorphic rocks and some features of sedimentary rocks , most often if they have been folded. Textural study involves measurement and characterisation of foliations , crenulations , metamorphic minerals, and timing relationships between these structural features and mineralogical features. Usually this involves collection of hand specimens, which may be cut to provide petrographic thin sections which are analysed under

3630-526: The oil, gas and mineral exploration industries as structures such as faults, folds and unconformities are primary controls on ore mineralisation and oil traps. Modern regional structure is being investigated using seismic tomography and seismic reflection in three dimensions, providing unrivaled images of the Earth's interior, its faults and the deep crust. Further information from geophysics such as gravity and airborne magnetics can provide information on

3696-539: The orientation of pre-shearing layering or formed due to instability within the shear flow. Recently deposited sediments are normally mechanically weak and prone to remobilization before they become lithified, leading to folding. To distinguish them from folds of tectonic origin, such structures are called synsedimentary (formed during sedimentation). Slump folding: When slumps form in poorly consolidated sediments, they commonly undergo folding, particularly at their leading edges, during their emplacement. The asymmetry of

3762-448: The orientation, deformation and relationships of stratigraphy (bedding), which may have been faulted, folded or given a foliation by some tectonic event. This is mainly a geometric science, from which cross sections and three-dimensional block models of rocks, regions, terranes and parts of the Earth's crust can be generated. Study of regional structure is important in understanding orogeny , plate tectonics and more specifically in

3828-414: The periodic array of atoms that make up a crystal lattice. Dislocations are present in all real crystallographic materials. Hardness is difficult to quantify. It is a measure of resistance to deformation, specifically permanent deformation. There is precedent for hardness as a surface quality, a measure of the abrasiveness or surface-scratching resistance of a material. If the material being tested, however,

3894-406: The planar surface, with the flat edge horizontal and measuring the angle of the lineation clockwise from horizontal. The orientation of the lineation can then be calculated from the rake and strike-dip information of the plane it was measured from, using a stereographic projection . If a fault has lineations formed by movement on the plane, e.g.; slickensides , this is recorded as a lineation, with

3960-428: The rock went through to get to that final structure. Knowing the conditions of deformation that lead to such structures can illuminate the history of the deformation of the rock. Temperature and pressure play a huge role in the deformation of rock. At the conditions under the earth's crust of extreme high temperature and pressure, rocks are ductile . They can bend, fold or break. Other vital conditions that contribute to

4026-400: The same direction, though not necessarily any folding.) Folds appear on all scales, in all rock types , at all levels in the crust . They arise from a variety of causes. When a sequence of layered rocks is shortened parallel to its layering, this deformation may be accommodated in a number of ways, homogeneous shortening, reverse faulting or folding. The response depends on the thickness of

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4092-417: The slump folds can be used to determine paleoslope directions in sequences of sedimentary rocks. Dewatering: Rapid dewatering of sandy sediments, possibly triggered by seismic activity, can cause convolute bedding. Compaction: Folds can be generated in a younger sequence by differential compaction over older structures such as fault blocks and reefs . The emplacement of igneous intrusions tends to deform

4158-402: The structural and tectonic history of the area. The mechanical properties of rock play a vital role in the structures that form during deformation deep below the earth's crust. The conditions in which a rock is present will result in different structures that geologists observe above ground in the field. The field of structural geology tries to relate the formations that humans see to the changes

4224-465: The structural features for which they are responsible, e.g.; M 2 . This may be possible by observing porphyroblast formation in cleavages of known deformation age, by identifying metamorphic mineral assemblages created by different events, or via geochronology . Intersection lineations in rocks, as they are the product of the intersection of two planar structures, are named according to the two planar structures from which they are formed. For instance,

4290-429: The surrounding country rock . In the case of high-level intrusions, near the Earth's surface, this deformation is concentrated above the intrusion and often takes the form of folding, as with the upper surface of a laccolith . The compliance of rock layers is referred to as competence : a competent layer or bed of rock can withstand an applied load without collapsing and is relatively strong, while an incompetent layer

4356-534: The trace of a planar feature on another planar surface). The inclination of a planar structure in geology is measured by strike and dip . The strike is the line of intersection between the planar feature and a horizontal plane, taken according to the right hand convention, and the dip is the magnitude of the inclination, below horizontal, at right angles to strike. For example; striking 25 degrees East of North, dipping 45 degrees Southeast, recorded as N25E,45SE. Alternatively, dip and dip direction may be used as this

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