EAS 4260

Rock Deformation and Structural Geology

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

The course begins with review of elementary principles of continuum mechanics and rheology, continuing with a discussion of deformation mechanisms commonly observed in earth materials. The geometry, kinematics, and mechanics of faults, folds, are then addressed and the class ends with a description of the tectonic setting of structural families such as thrust belts, rift provinces, and zones of strike slip deformation. A field trip provides an opportunity to apply the concepts learned in lecture.

Prerequisites MATH 1910 and EAS 2250.

Last 4 Terms Offered (None)

Learning Outcomes

• Identify why rocks break at different angles under different conditions and determine the orientations of stresses that deformed rocks.
• Demonstrate how progressive strain can produce the apparent juxtaposition of unlike geologic features even though they formed during a single deformation event.
• Analyze a geologic map to extract information about deformation in four dimensions by clearly defining the relations of fold and fault geometry, unconformities, and stratigraphic sequences.

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