FoldsandFaults.ppt

Folds and Faults Supplemental Review and Exercises Deformation of Rocks When rocks have been deformed, folding or faulting may result How the deformation manifests its self is dependent on: Temperature Pressure Rock type Rocks under high pressure, warm, and flexible are more likely to fold Rocks under low pressure, cold, and brittle are more likely to break or fault Driving force of deformation…… Plate Tectonics: The lithosphere is broken into “plates” free to move around on the Earth’s asthenosphere These plates are free to move with respect to each other, either slipping along one another, colliding, or pulling apart Forming three different plate boundaries which can result in various types of faulting and or folding. The Plates The Plate Boundary Types Divergent Plate Boundary: plates move away from each other resulting in extension (tensional forces) Convergent Plate Boundary: plates move toward each other resulting in shortening (compress ional forces) Transform Plate Boundary: plates slide past each other results in lateral movement (shear forces) Convergent Boundaries Folding Anticlines: Arch shaped structure Synclines: Basin like structure Faulting Reverse Faults (shortening) Vertical movements Divergent Boundaries Normal Faults (Extension) – vertical movements Transform Boundaries Strike Slip Faults – lateral movement and shear forces More on folds and inclined beds…. The axis of the fold divides it in half, separating the fold into two limbs the limbs of the fold have the same strike for a non-plunging fold but opposite dips Describe orientation of the beds of rocks using strike and dip Strike: the trend of a rock with respect to north, typically parallel to bed contacts and axis of fold Dip: the inclination of the rock away from the horizontal down slope in a direction perpendicular to strike. Strike and Dip Symbol The strike and dip symbol resembles a “T”. However the strike line is longer than the dip line. Click to insert strike a