Folds, Faults and Other Records of Deformation
Significance to CCS Fundamental to trapping configuration Fundamental to trapping configuration Important for caprock integrity Important for caprock integrity
Stress Force per unit area Force per unit area Compression Compression Tension (rare) Tension (rare) Shearing Shearing
Or, principal compressive stress vertical
Brittle Versus Ductile Deformation Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Brittle: material fractures (breaks)
Brittle Versus Ductile Deformation Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures
Folded gneiss and marble
Brittle Versus Ductile Deformation Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures Brittle favored by: Brittle favored by:
Brittle Versus Ductile Deformation Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures Brittle favored by: Brittle favored by: low temperatures low temperatures
Brittle Versus Ductile Deformation Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures Brittle favored by: Brittle favored by: low temperatures low temperatures low confining pressures low confining pressures
Undeformed Low confining pressure High confining pressure
Brittle Versus Ductile Deformation Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Brittle: material fractures (breaks) Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures Ductile: plastic deformation, no fractures Brittle favored by: Brittle favored by: low temperatures low temperatures low confining pressures low confining pressures high strain rates high strain rates Rock type Rock type
Brittle diabase, ductile marble
Mapping Geologic Structures Strike Strike Dip Dip
Mapping Geologic Structures Strike Strike Dip Dip Constructing cross sections Constructing cross sections
Folds Bending of rocks, often as a result of compression
Anticlines and Synclines
Raplee anticline and San Juan river, Utah
Limbs, axial planes, fold axes
Plunge
Plunging folds near Harrisburg, PA
Plunging anticline, SW Montana
Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, Overturned Limbs of equal length Limbs of unequal length
Overturned (almost?) anticline
Structural domes and basins
Faults and Joints Fractures in rock
Joints No visible displacement No visible displacement Types Types Unloading (exfoliation) Unloading (exfoliation)
Unloading joint, Yosemite NP, CA
Joints No visible displacement No visible displacement Types Types Unloading (exfoliation) Unloading (exfoliation) Cooling joints Cooling joints
Devil’s Postpile, CA
Devil’s Tower, WY
Joints No visible displacement No visible displacement Types Types Unloading (exfoliation) Unloading (exfoliation) Cooling joints Cooling joints Regional (tectonic) joints Regional (tectonic) joints
Joints in Navajo Sandstone, Arches NP, UT
Faults Visible displacement Visible displacement Hanging wall and footwall Hanging wall and footwall
Faults Visible displacement Visible displacement Hanging wall and footwall Hanging wall and footwall Dip-slip faults Dip-slip faults Normal Normal
Normal fault, UT
Faults Visible displacement Visible displacement Hanging wall and footwall Hanging wall and footwall Dip-slip faults Dip-slip faults Normal Normal Reverse Reverse
Faults Visible displacement Visible displacement Hanging wall and footwall Hanging wall and footwall Dip-slip faults Dip-slip faults Normal Normal Reverse Reverse Thrust Thrust
Thrust: reverse motion with fault plane dipping <45°
Chief Mountain Klippe, Montana
Faults Visible displacement Visible displacement Hanging wall and footwall Hanging wall and footwall Dip-slip faults Dip-slip faults Normal Normal Reverse Reverse Thrust Thrust Strike-slip faults Strike-slip faults Left lateral Left lateral Right lateral Right lateral
Faults Visible displacement Visible displacement Hanging wall and footwall Hanging wall and footwall Dip-slip faults Dip-slip faults Normal Normal Reverse Reverse Thrust Thrust Strike-slip faults Strike-slip faults Left lateral Left lateral Right lateral Right lateral Oblique-slip faults Oblique-slip faults
Rocks/textures created by faulting Fault breccia (visible angular fragments) Fault breccia (visible angular fragments) Fault gouge (incohesive, fine powder) Fault gouge (incohesive, fine powder) Mylonites (ductile flow/recrystallization) Mylonites (ductile flow/recrystallization) Pseudotachylites (frictional melting) Pseudotachylites (frictional melting)
Fault gouge
Mylonite
Pseudotachylite
Features associated with fault planes Slickensides (grooves or striations) Slickensides (grooves or striations) "Drag" folds "Drag" folds
Horsts, grabens, and rifts
Wildrose graben, Panamint Valley, southern California
Structural Traps for Hydrocarbons and CO 2 Fault traps Fault traps Fold traps
Lander Dome oil field, Wind River Basin, Wyoming
Structure Photos….
Joints in Navajo Sandstone, Arches NP, UT
1964 Alaska (M 9.2) Hanning Bay fault scarp on Montague Island. Vertical displacement feet. (USGS photo)