4 Strxturd

structural
Forcefulintrusionof magmainto the crustis character. or t«tonicdevebpn.rntof a region to
ind by defrrmationnear the marginof the pluton, predict structural in an am. In
manifrstedbyQA'ingand shearingof the layersin Figure structuralgeologyis founded dataand &rvations
1.2.Ellipsein this figureillustratethe shapeof exlavø muA Sttuturalarul•rsis
and interpreted.
(inclusi.»ns),
and it is clearthat theytxcomemoreand tirreOre an importantpartofthe ficklofstrwtural
moreelorvtc•d weappmachthe marginOfthe pluton. Structural are analyzedin !hat leadto a
Hence.the outerpartof the plutonhas flattened tectonicmodelfor an area. Bytectonic model mean
duringa forcefrlintn»ion history, a that explainsthe structuralobservations
and
Metamorphic growthof mineralst*fore,during.and puts them into contextwithresp«t to a
aner &åmnation mayalsoprovideirnB»rtantinbrrnati€gi proces suchas rifting Orsalt movements.Forexample,
presure*emperatureconditior»duringdef'rm- if we out a Ericsof normalfauhsirxlicating
may contain texturesand Structures in an orogeok belt, we haveto for a
&firmation history.Hence, that canexplain this extension.1%iscouldbe a rift model,
metamorphic all ck»ely it couH colW duringthe omgny,
associat«lwith structuralpkwy ofa kxalityor rqion. gravity-drivencollapseafter orogeny. rehtiom
The* examplesrelateto strain,but structuralgÄilogists, betwen structure additionalinformation
(radio-
especianythosedealingwithbrittle structuresof upper metric dating.evidencefor magmatism.rektive rela-
Crust,are al*' axwernedwith stres Stressis a onrwhat and more)wouu importantto Electa mo&l
dimlse abstrxt conceptto of sinceit is that best fits the dam.It nuy be that severalmodelscan
inv"ible.Newrtheks,therewill strainwithout explaina givendata set. and we should alwayskx»k
a streu dwt exceedsthe rock'sroistance and criticallyevaluateahernative In Fneral,
defrrmation.Wecan crate a stressby applyinga a Simpkmodelis n»re attractivethan a complicatd one.
on a surface.but at a point in the lithospherestres is
fromall directöns,and a fundexription of sucha stateof
1.3 Structural data sets
stres considers stressfromalldirections
and is therefrre
three-dimensiond.Thereis alwaysa rehtionshipbetw«n PlanetEarthrepresentsan itxrediblycomplexphysical
stres ami strain,andwhik it maybeeasyto establiålfrom system.and the structuresthat resultfrom natural
exFrimentsit may to deformation
r&ct this throughtheirmultitu&Of
extractfromnaturallyformeddefrrnution structures. expressionsand histories.Thereis thus a need to simplify
Structural covers
de6rmationstructuref»rmd and identifythe one or fewmostimportantfxtors that
nor Earth's
surface,
in cool,upFr partof descrit*or lead to the recognitionof defi•rmationstruc-
crustwhererockshavea temlerx•yto frxture, in hotter, lures that Canbe seenOrmappedin naturallydefor•rtrd
lower wherethe def•rmationtendsto ductik,and rocks.Fieldobservationsof deformedrocksand tlrir
in urxierlyingmantk•.It embracesstructuresat Structures the most direct important
of Ofkilornetersdownto micro-or atomic souræof informationon how &6rm, and obkct•
stru•tu.rø,Anx•turesthat form alme»t ive (%servations
and carefuldexriptionsof naturaUy
*rxturo tlut overtensofminionsof deformedrocksare the key to natural
A larF nu&r of subdisciplines. approadrs deformation.Indirectobservations
of geOgic structure
m«H'ds t}rre6reexistwithinthe fidd of structural meansof variousremotegnsing meth«xis., including
Fokv, TheoilexploratimF'logistmay consi&ring •temte dataand seignÉsurveying, aretxmmingincres-
trap•6rming•ructures6rmedduringriftirvor sahtec- itvlyimportant our mappingandderr#ün of struc-
tonics,whik the productiongeokwistworries sub- turesand teaonic&ßrmation.Experiments performed
seismicsali1WGulls(faultsthat stopfluid flowin porous in bl»ratory$vc us vahaa&knowkdgeof how
reservoirsSection8.7).The geobgistnuy various conditiotu.incltxiing
stressfield.bound-
and densitiesin rektionto ary comlition,temperatureOr phy•siølprorxrtie Of
fractureorientatüMts
a tunnel whilethe universityprofau»rusesstruc-
the deformingmaterial,relateto deformatkm.Numerical
turalmapping. modelingor computermodeling models,whererockdefrrrnationis simuhted on a com-
to pnxesses. methcxls puter,areal*' u*ful as they us to contrd vario•b
approxhesar mat",but they to utxkrgand paranrte•rs propertiesthat influencedefrrmation.