Introduction

Some important aspects of Structural

Geology

Abdul Matin
Adjunct Faculty
NIT, Durgapur
abdul.aindia@gmail.com
 Course structure

Theory 42 Contact hours Laboratory 24 contact hours

 How we will proceed?
1. Stress in general. Measurement of stress. Paleostress analysis
2. Strain in general. Measurement of strain
3. Relation between stress and strain
4. Use of stress and strain in geological problems
5. Mohr Diagram
1-5 cover unit II except Microstructure and grain-scale deformation mechanism
6. Mechanical properties of rocks
7. Dynamic and kinematic analysis of rocks in 2D and 3D
6-7 cover unit I
8. Fault
9. Shear zone
10. Superposed fold and its analysis
11. Microstructure and grain-scale deformation mechanism
12. GPS and active tectonics
13. Earthquake and fault analysis
8-12 cover unit III
 How we get knowledge in Geological science?
Geologic processes (factors)
and
Product (outcome of the processes)

We generate Data (piece of information)

Data is processed to get Information

Information is processed to get Knowledge

Evidence is the piece of data but not all data are evidence
e.g., Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions

…..contd
 What is structural Geology?

Structural Geology is the study of deformed rocks

It deals with Geometry, Kinematics and Mechanics of deformed rocks

Structure is closely related to various fields of engineering mechanics, structural

engineering, and material science

Deformation and metamorphism of rocks usually go together in the crust and

upper lithosphere

Deformation of rocks involves relative motion of elements of rock so that new

arrangements of elements develop. Motions comprise rigid rotations, rigid
translations and distortions (changes in shape) and volume change

…..contd
 Fields of structural study
Observation of natural structures:
Observation take place at different scales, from the submicroscopic to the plate-scale. Also involves
establishing the time-relations of structures

Experimental:
Attempt to reproduce under controlled laboratory conditions features similar to those in naturally deformed
rocks. Aim of experimental work is to gain insight into the stress systems
Two major drawbacks:
 (1) In real earth, we seldom know all of the possible factors effecting the deformation (e.g., P, T, t, fluids, etc.)
 (2) More important, real earth processes occur at far slower rate than one can possibly reproduce in the
laboratory (Natural rates: 10-12 to 10-18 sec-1; in laboratory the slowest rates: 10-6 - 10-8 sec-1)

Theoretical:
Application of various physical laws of mechanics and thermodynamics, through analytical or numerical
methods
 In structural Geology we study…..
Three basic stages to pursue structural geology

Geometry:
We define the geometry of rock bodies in three dimension. Geometry basically means how big or
extensive (size or magnitude) and/or how its dimensions are aligned in space (orientation)

Kinematics:
Kinematics is the description of movements that particles of material have experienced during
deformation

Mechanics:
Mechanics implies an understanding of how forces applied to a material have produced the
movements of the particles that make up the material. Finally, we try to infer the stresses that
produced the deformation based on our knowledge of material properties

…..contd
 Scales of Deformation

• PLATE SCALE: Typically 1000s of km

• WEDGE SCALE: Typically 100s of km

• OUTCROP SCALE: Typically 10s of metre

• MICROSCOPIC SCALE: Typically mm to micron-scale

…..contd
Scales of Deformation
 Structural Geology and Tectonics

These two branches of geology are closely linked

• Both leads to understand the evolution of the Earth

• Structural geology predominantly deals with the study of the deformation in rocks
at a scale ranging from submicroscopic- to the regional-scale

• Tectonics predominantly deals with regional to global scale (plate-scale)

• At regional scale structural geology and tectonics overlap

 Modern Structural Geology
Application of theoretical principles of continuum mechanics
(continuum mechanics is the study of how bodies of different materials deform
when subjected to forces. Materials are idealized mathematically as continua
which are characterized by having no structure or discontinuities at any scale. The
approximation of material behaviour enables to describe the deformation of rock
in simple mathematical terms)
It leads to understand the insights into the processes of deformation

Geophysics has become increasingly important to both structural geology and

tectonics

Satellite imagery and satellites, such as GPS provide powerful tools for analyzing
active motions of earth crust
Diastropic and non-diastropic structures
• Structures formed from deformation

• Structures formed during formation of sedimentary and igneous

rocks (stratigraphic younging/sequence direction indicators)
Primary sedimentary structures