What is Structural Geology?

Goal: To stimulate you into thinking about research

methods in structural geology

If I had to put it in one sentence….

Structural geology is the study of:• The geometry of geologic structures (such

as faults, folds, joints, intrusive bodies, ect.)

• How these structures form (their relationship to applied stress)

• Their significance to the geologic history of an area

• Their relationship to plate-tectonic motions

Structural geology research methods?

Observations of naturally deformed rocks: Map-scale

Observations of naturally deformed rocks: Outcrop-scale

Observations of deformed rocks: Micro-scale

Advantages and disadvantages of a field-based approach?

Discussion

Experimental Rock Deformation

Holger Stunitz in the lab at Basel University

Patterson deformation rig at

the University of Minnesota

Schematic of a rock deformation apparatus

Experiments are used to figure out how rocks respond to stress under different conditions

Holyoke and Tullis, 2006

Advantages and disadvantages of an experimental approach?

Discussion

Modeling of geologic structuresNumerical modeling Analogue modeling

Play Johnson micro-structure model:Subgrain-rotation dynamic recrystallization

Naturally deformed sample

Advantages and disadvantages of a modeling approach?

Discussion