In
geology
Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
, the term compression refers to a set of stresses directed toward the center of a rock mass.
Compressive strength refers to the maximum amount of
compressive stress that can be applied to a material before failure occurs. When the maximum compressive stress is in a horizontal orientation,
thrust faulting can occur, resulting in the shortening and thickening of that portion of the
crust. When the maximum compressive stress is vertical, a section of rock will often fail in
normal faults, horizontally extending and vertically thinning a given layer of rock. Compressive stresses can also result in the
folding of rocks. Because of the large magnitudes of
lithostatic stress in
tectonic plates, tectonic-scale
deformation is always subjected to net compressive stress.
Compressive stresses can result in a number of different features at varying scales, most notably including
Folds, and
Thrust faults.
See also
*
Gravitational compression
References
Structural geology
Solid mechanics
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