Structural Geology

Structural Geology To an engineer, this is a structure . . . Hoover Dam . . . and this To a geologist, this is a structure . . . … and this “Structural geologists study the architecture of the Earth's crust” Tarbuck and Lutgens, 2008 Structural Geology All about stress! Structural Geology  What is Structural Geology » Deals with form, arrangement, and internal structure of rocks, especially the description, representation, and analysis of structures » Geologic structures--feature produced by rock deformation Importance of Structures  Unravel Earth history Swiss Alps  Energy resources Gas and petroleum hide in natural structures Oil Trap (Fold) Oil

• continent dip
• horizontal features
• plate boundaries summary
• regular pattern at right angles to tension
• strike- slip
• strike-slip
• orientation
• rocks
• rock
• fault