CrustalStructureandCrustalMovement.docVIP

5 Crustal Structure and Crustal Movement The problem of crustal movement is that of the struggle between the different aspects of both internal and external contradictions of the earth. The earths crust constitutes but a thin veneer of the whole earths structure. Its formation is resulted from the following factors: first, those from outside the earth’s crust, e.g., the atmosphere that envelops the solid crust, the sun and the moon, as well as various radiations from the stars may all have exerted some effect on it. Besides, the interstellar dust and meteoritic materials, and the kind falling upon the earth may also have some slight effect. Secondly, the change and movement of materials within the earth’s interior underneath the crust, e.g., the physical and chemical changes of earth materials at high temperatures and high pressures; the movement of materials under the actions of gravity and the solar and lunar tides, predominantly body tide (sometimes called solid tide, but what state of matter now exsists in the deep interior is still unknown) and the influence of the earths rotation, all these will inevitably be found reflected in the earths crust. From the point of view of geomechanics, elastic and inelastic deformations can be distinguished, although both are produced by the action of forces. Generally speaking, rocks are elastic when subjected to stress of short duration not exceeding their strength, but behave plastically under long-continued stress, even if their elastic limit is not exceeded; the longer the time of action of stress, the larger the plasticity they exhibit. The elastic response of rocks to stress will largely recover with the release of stress, leaving little or no records in the rocks. Inelastic deformation on the other hand will be inevitably permanently preserved. Different magnitude of stress and different manner of its action will give correspondingly permanent deformations of different nature and dimensions. There are many kinds of