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Structural Geology:
Deformation and Mountain
Building
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Tectonic Stresses  Large Scale Strain

of the Crust - Geologic Structures
Crust:
Rigid,
Thin
• Inner core: Solid iron Mantle:
Plastic,
Convecting
• Outer core: Liquid iron,
convecting (magnetic field)

• Mantle (Asthenosphere) : Solid

iron-magnesium silicate, plastic,
convecting

• Crust (Lithosphere): Rigid, thin

5-30km
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Tectonics and
Structural Geology
Tectonic Stresses resulting
from Internal Energy (heat
driving convection) Strains
(deforms) the Mantle and Crust

Bends Rocks
ductile strain (Folds)

•Breaks Rock
•brittle strain (Joints)

•Moves large blocks

•Faults

Releases energy Earthquakes

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Folds and Faults (Palmdale, Ca)

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Kaynasli, Turkey
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Stresses at Plate
Boundaries

• Divergent
(Tensional)
|
• Convergent
(Compressional)
|
• Transform
(Shear)

e.g., Pacific NW
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Geological
Structures
• Different stresses result in
various forms of strain
(geologic structures)
• Folds (compressive stresses
may cause ductile strain)
• Faults (Any type of stress
may cause brittle strain. The
type of fault depends on the
type of stress)
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Geological Structures

• Fault: a discontinuity surface

across which there has been
shear displacement

• Hangingwall: the wall and body

of rock above an inclined fault

• Footwall: the wall and body of

rock beneath an inclined fault
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Geological Structures

• Normal Fault: hanging wall

moved downwards compared
to the footwall

• Reverse Fault: hanging wall

moved upwards compared to
the footwall

• Thrust fault: low angle reverse

fault
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Geological Structures

• Strike Slip Fault: displacement

parallel to the fault plane.

• Can be left or right handed!

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Stikes and Dips are used to identify

geologic structures
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Strike and Dip

• Define and map the orientation of planar
features
• Bedding planes (sedimentary rocks)
• Foliation
• Joints
• Faults
• Dikes
• Sills
• Ore Veins

Fig. 10-4, p. 221

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Strike and Dip

• Strike: The line of Strike and Dip Map
Symbol
intersection between the
plane and a horizontal
surface
• Dip: Angle that the plane
makes with that horizontal
plane

Fig. 10-4, p. 221

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Anticline (fold)
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Syncline (fold)
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Plunging
Anticline
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Fold Terminology

• Hinge: the greatest

curvature of a folded
surface
Axis Axis

• Axial plane: a planar

surface defined by the
successive positions of fold
hinges

• Plunge
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Plunging Anticline, Colorado

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Domes and Basins

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Brittle Strain  Joints

• When shallow crust is strained

rocks tend to exhibit brittle strain
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Sheet Joints
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Defining Fault Orientation

• Strike of fault plane
parallels the
• fault trace
• fault scarp

• Direction of Dip of the

fault plane indicates the
Hanging wall block
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Fault:

• Movement occurring along a discontinuity

• Brittle strain and subsequent movement as a result
of stress
• Fault terminology
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Faults

• Fault: When
movement
occurs along a
discontinuity

• Fault type
depends on
the type of
stress
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Normal Faults
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Normal Faults, Horsts and Grabens

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Horsts and Grabens

• Older Rocks are exposed along the ridges
formed by the horsts
Horst
Horst Graben
Graben

• Younger rocks lie beneath the grabens

• Sediment fills in the linear valleys
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Nevada
• “Washboard
topography” is the result
of Horsts and Grabens
• A.k.a, Basin and Range
• E.g., Humbolt Range
• E.g., Death Valley
(Graben)
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Horst and Graben, Nevada

Horst

Graben

Humboldt Range, Northern Nevada

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Horst and Graben, Nevada

Horst

Graben

Humboldt Range, Northern Nevada

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Reverse and Thrust Faults

• Compressive stress
causes the hanging wall
to move upward
relative to the foot wall
 Reverse Fault

• At convergent plate
boundaries ancient
rocks can be thrust
over younger rocks 
Thrust Fault
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Thrust Fault: Glacier NP, Montana

Old

Younger
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Strike Slip Faults

• Physiographic Features