Brittle deformation = the permanent change that occurs in a solid material due to the growth of fractures and/or sliding on fractures. A fracture is a surface of discontinuity (includes cracks, joints and faults). Faults result from shear stresses, and joints result from tensile stresses:
Page 1 Structural Geology- Introduction Introduction Structural geology is the study of deformed rocks, and rock deformation. In structural geology, we are faced with a series of natural features that we try to interpret and explain. Each of these features formed through the interplay of external forces on rock