Structural geology

Structural geology studies the shape, arrangement, and deformation of rocks, and the forces that produce them. It links rock structures to the movements and stresses that formed them.

Stress (mechanics): Stress is force per unit area acting within a material, described by its magnitude and direction. Differences in stress across a rock mass drive the structures structural geologists investigate.
Strike and dip: Strike and dip are measurements that describe the orientation of a planar geological surface. They provide a standard way to map the orientation of beds, faults, and foliations.
Structural trap: A structural trap is a geometry of deformed rock that can retain petroleum beneath an impermeable seal. Folds and faults can create the closures that concentrate oil and gas.
James Hutton: James Hutton was an eighteenth-century Scottish geologist who argued that geological processes operating today also shaped Earth's past. His emphasis on deep time made repeated episodes of deformation intelligible.
Brittle deformation: Brittle deformation occurs when a material fractures or breaks rather than flowing continuously. It contrasts with ductile deformation and commonly produces faults and joints.
Strain (materials science): Strain measures the change in shape or size of a material relative to its original dimensions. Comparing strain with stress reveals how rocks respond to forces.
Geologic map: A geologic map shows the distribution, age, and structure of rocks at Earth's surface. Map patterns expose folds, faults, and regional structural relationships.
Ore deposit: An ore deposit is a concentration of minerals from which valuable materials can be extracted economically. Structures can channel mineralizing fluids and localize valuable mineral concentrations.
Charles Lyell: Charles Lyell was a nineteenth-century geologist whose writings developed and popularized uniformitarian geology. His account of gradual geological change shaped interpretations of rock structures.
Ductile deformation: Ductile deformation is continuous change in a material's shape without macroscopic fracture. It contrasts with brittle failure and commonly produces folds and foliations.

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