Structural Geology

What is Structural Geology?

Structural geology
is the study of the three-
dimensional distribution
of rock units with
respect to their
deformational histories.
 The primary goal of structural geology is to use
measurements of present-day rock geometries
to uncover information about the history of
deformation (strain) in the rocks, and
ultimately, to understand the stress field that
resulted in the observed strain and geometries.

This understanding of the dynamics of the

stress field can be linked to important events in
the regional geologic past.
 Economical Importance of Structural
Geology

The study of geologic structures has been of prime

importance in economic geology.
Folded and faulted rock strata commonly form traps
for the accumulation and concentration of fluids
such as petroleum and natural gas.
Veins of minerals containing various metals
commonly occupy faults and fractures in structurally
complex areas.
Deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and other
metals, are commonly located in structurally
complex areas.
Structural geology is a critical part of
engineering geology, which is concerned with the
physical and mechanical properties of natural rocks.
 Structural fabrics and
Folds
defects
Joints
Faults
Foliations
These are internal weaknesses of
rocks which may affect the stability
of human engineered structures.
 Deformation of Rocks
Within the Earth rocks are continually being
subjected to forces that tend to bend them,
twist them, or fracture them. When rocks bend,
twist or fracture we say that they deform
(change shape or size).
Deformation common
at plate margins.
Deformation concepts
Force
Stress
Strain
 Stress
The forces that cause deformation of rock
are referred to as stresses (Force/unit area).
Differential Stress Unequal in different
directions.
A uniform stress is a stress wherein the
forces act equally from all directions.
3 major types of differential stress
Compressional stress
Tensional stress
Shear stress
 Compressional Stress
Push Together stress.
Shortens and thickens crust.
which squeezes rock.
 Tensional Stress
Pull-apart stress.
Thins and stretches crust.
Associated with rifting
 Shear Stress
Slippage of one rock mass past
another.
In shallow crust, shear is often
accommodated by bedding planes.
 Strain
Changes in the shape or size of a
rock body caused by stress.
Strain occurs when stresses exceed
rock strength.
Strained rocks deform by folding,
flowing, or fracturing
 How Rocks Deforms
Elastic deformation The rock returns to
original size and shape when stress removed.

When the (strength) of a rock is surpassed, it

either flows (ductile deformation) or fractures
(brittle deformation).

Brittle behavior occurs in

the shallow crust; ductile in
the deeper crust.
 We can divide materials into two classes.

Brittle materials have a small or

large region of elastic behaviour but
only a small region of ductile
behaviour before they fracture.
Ductile materials have a small region
of elastic behaviour and a large
region of ductile behaviour before
they fracture.
How a material behaves will depend
on several factors
Temperature - At high temperature molecules and their bonds can stretch
and move, thus materials will behave in more ductile manner. At low
Temperature, materials are brittle.
Confining Pressure - At high confining pressure materials are less likely
to fracture because the pressure of the surroundings tends to hinder the
formation of fractures. At low confining stress, material will be brittle
and tend to fracture sooner.
Strain rate -- At high strain rates material tends to fracture. At low strain
rates more time is available for individual atoms to move and therefore
ductile behaviour is favoured.
Composition -- Some minerals, like quartz, olivine, and feldspars are very
brittle. Others, like clay minerals, micas, and calcite are more ductile This
is due to the chemical bond types that hold them together. Thus, the
mineralogical composition of the rock will be a factor in determining the
deformational behaviour of the rock. Another aspect is presence or
absence of water. Water appears to weaken the chemical bonds and
forms films around mineral grains along which slippage can take place.
Thus wet rock tends to behave in ductile manner, while dry rocks tend to
behave in brittle manner.
Evidence of Former Deformation

Evidence of deformation that has occurred in the

past is very evident in crustal rocks.
For example, sedimentary strata and lava flows
generally follow the law of original horizontality.
Thus, when we see such strata inclined instead of
horizontal, evidence of an episode of deformation.
In order to uniquely define the orientation of a
planar feature we first need to define two terms
Strike (trend)
Dip (inclination)
 Mapping Geologic
Structures
Strike(trend)
The compass direction of the line produced by the
intersection of an inclined rock layer or fault with a horizontal
plane.
Generally expressed as an angle relative to north.
N37E
N12W

Dip (inclination)
The angle of inclination of the surface of a rock unit or fault measured
from a horizontal plane.
Includes both an angle of inclination and a direction toward which the
rock is inclined.
82SE
17SW
 Mapping Geologic
Structures
In recording strike and dip measurements on a
geologic map, a symbol is used that has a long line
oriented parallel to the compass direction of the
strike.
A short tick mark is placed in the centres of the line
on the side to which the inclined plane dips, and the
angle of dip is recorded next to the strike and dip
symbol as shown above.
For beds with a 900 dip (vertical) the short line
crosses the strike line.
For beds with no dip (horizontal) a circle with a cross
inside is used as shown below..
 Joint
Any fracture, without any movement
is called as joint.
When rock are under stress, and are
at shallow depth then they may show
brittle behavior and may get cracked.
Often rocks are cracked at their
elastic limit, which may vary respect
to their material properties.
 Joints can be classified into three groups depending on
their geometrical relationship with the country rock:

Strike joints Joints which run parallel to the direction

of strike of country rocks are called "strike joints.

Dip joints Joints which run parallel to the direction of

dip of country rocks are called "dip joints.

Oblique joints Joints which run oblique to the dip and

strike directions of the country rocks are called
"oblique joints".
 Folds
Any bent or curved in a rock strata as a result of
permanent deformation due to tectonic forces,
is called as FOLD.
They occur singly as isolated folds and in
extensive fold trains of different sizes, on a
variety of scales.
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.
 Faults
Fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity
in a volume of rock, across which there has
been significant displacement along the
fractures as a result of earth movement.
Energy release associated with rapid
movement on active faults is the cause of
most earthquakes.
These earth quake may cause tremendous
loss of life and property.
Faults
 Faults
Faults occur when brittle rocks
fracture and there is an offset along
the fracture.
When the offset is small, the
displacement can be easily measured,
but sometimes the displacement is so
large that it is difficult to measure.
 Fault Terminology
A fault line is the surface trace of a fault,
i-e the line of intersection between the
fault plane.
A clearly seen line is formed by the
intersection of faulted surfaces and can be
observed even on satellite image.
Hanging wall: fault block above the fault
plane is called as hanging wall.
Foot wall: fault block below the fault plane
is called as foot wall.
 Fault blocks classified as

Footwall (rock mass

below the fault)

Hanging wall
(rock mass
above the fault)
 Three dominant types
Normal fault
Reverse Fault
Thrust (a low angle reverse fault)
Strike Slip Fault
 Normal fault

Hanging wall moves down relative to the

footwall.
Accommodate lengthening or extension
of the crust.
Exhibit a variety of scales
 Normal Fault
Larger scale normal faults are associated with
fault-block mountains (Basin and Range of
Nevada).

Normal fault bounded valleys are called graben

Normal fault bounded ridges are called horsts.

Basin area has a series of horsts and grabens.
 Reverse faults
Hanging wall block moves up relative
to the footwall block
Reverse faults have dips greater than
45o
Accommodate shortening of the crust
Strong compressional forces
 Thrust fault
A special case of reverse fault.
Hanging wall block moves up relative to
the footwall block
Thrust faults are characterized by a low
dip angle (less then 45o).
Accommodate shortening of the crust
Strong compressional forces
 Strike-Slip Faults
Dominant displacement is horizontal
and parallel to the strike of the fault
Types of strike-slip faults
Right-lateral as you face the fault, the
block on the opposite side of the fault
moves to the right
Left-lateral as you face the fault, the
block on the opposite side of the fault
moves to the left
Types of Strike Slip Fault
 Fault Splays: Fault is
segments into many small faults.
Sometimes, A big fault initiate
many small other fault known as
fault splays or implication.
Sierra Nevada mountains
Criteria to identify the faults
Fault scarp
A fault scarp is the topographic
expression of faulting attributed to
the displacement of the land surface
by movement along faults.
During faulting, one block may rise
and appear as a raised ridge and
shows steep bedding.
 Slickenside:
Ingeology, aslickensideis a smoothly polished
surface caused by frictional movement betweenrocks
along the two sides of afault. This surface is normally
striated in the direction of movement . The surface
feels smoother when the hand is moved in the same
direction that the eroded side of the fault moved.
 Mineralization
Friction along blocks of faults may
cause dynamic metamorphism,
fracturing and brecciation etc
Stream alignment:
Offset streams are found along
strike slip fault . If a stream is
changing its path then it shows the
presence of faults.
Raised ridges along coastal
areas
Valleys:
Valleys are of great importance because
it is said that 90 % of the valleys are being
formed along the faults e.g Kaghan valley has
alignment with Kunhar river and these
streams are found along strike slip fault

Kaghan Valley .
Hot water streams:
Hot water streams highly
suggests the presence of fault .

Waterfalls:
Water fall also suggests the
presence of oblique faults.
Surface Geomorphology
IMPORTANCE OF STRUCTURAL
GEOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
What Structural Geologists Should
do in Studying Structures?
Map the geometry of structures accurately in
the field and construct an accurate
geologic map.
Measure the orientation of small structures in
the field to know the shapes and relative
position of larger structures
Study the sequence of development and
superposition of different kinds of
structures to determine the sequence
condition of deformation.
Try to apply rock-mechanics data to relate
structures to stresses that present in the
Earth at the times of deformation.
Try to compare structures in one area with
those else-where that may have formed
by similar-mechanism.
 IMPORTANCE OF STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY
AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FIELDS

Engineering: Problems such as construction of

bridges, dams, power plants, highways, and
airports, and beneath buildings problems

Environmental: Problems such as land use,

planning, earth quake hazard, volcanic hazard,
waste isolation and disposal, control of the
distribution of ground water

Petroleum and mining geology: Understanding

the geometric techniques, projection of faults
geologic contacts, larger trends of regional
processes that control the concentration of
mineral and hydrocarbons
Questions????????