Name: Section: Score:

Geol 107: Structural Geology

Activity 03: Wellman’s Method

Wellman Method was formulated by Harold Wellman. This method is used to measure shear
strain of multiple fossils that were originally bilaterally symmetrical.

Objectives: Materials:
1. Apply the knowledge of stress using 1. Drawing and coloring materials
Wellman’s Method. 2. Tracing paper
2. Utilize Wellman’s Method to determine the 3. Compass
shape and orientation of the strain ellipse 4. Calculator
from the deformed fossils of initially 5. Rulers/ triangles
bilaterally symmetric brachiopods.

Follow the procedure indicated and attach a clear copy of your output below. Unclear
and/or scaleless images will not be given points.
1. Download and print a copy of the deformed brachiopod fossils attached as “Annex A”
on any size of paper (make sure that it is printed as “Actual Size” and not “Fit to
Printable Area” to avoid scale distortions).

2. Draw hinge and median lines on each fossil on the printout. Attach a scanned copy of
this in the space provided below.
Tip: Use 1 color for all hinge lines and another color for all median lines to avoid
confusion.
3. Draw an arbitrary line, AB, not parallel to any of the hinge lines on both the tracing
paper and printout.
Tip: Use another color for the arbitrary line, AB, to avoid confusion.

4. Overlay point A (from arbitrary line AB) on the median and hinge line intersection of a
fossil, Fossil A. Trace Fossil A's median and hinge line on the tracing paper and
extend both lines.

5. Overlay point B (from arbitrary line AB) on the median and hinge line intersection of a
fossil, Fossil A. Trace Fossil A's median and hinge line on the tracing paper and
extend both lines.

6. A parallelogram must be formed with an intersection from the lines drawn from Nos.
4 and 5. Mark these 2 intersections.
Tip: Use another color for the intersections to avoid confusion.

7. Repeat the same process as indicated in Nos. 4 to 6 for the all the other remaining
fossils. Attach a scanned copy of this in the space provided below.
8. Draw a best fit ellipse through the points of intersection. Attach a scanned copy of
this in the space provided below.

a. What is the length of the long axis of the strain 10.16 cm

ellipse?
b. What is the length of the short axis of the strain
ellipse? 6.35 cm
c. Compute for the ellipticity of the strain ellipse. Attach a scanned copy of your
solution in the space provided below.
 d. Determine the angular strain of the ellipse and orientation of deformation.
Explain how you were able to determine these.

We drew a horizontal line first at the top and bottom of the ellipse, then drew an
inclined to connect both ends in order to identify the angular shear and deformation
of orientation. To determine the angular shear of the resulting ellipse, we drew a
vertical connecting from the horizontal right end. We were able to calculate the
angular strain which is 12⁰.