Compression (geology)

Short description: Geology term for a set of stress directed toward the center of a rock mass

In geology, the term compression refers to a set of stress directed toward the center of a rock mass. Compressive strength refers to the maximum 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 folding of rocks. Because of the large magnitudes of lithostatic stress in tectonic plates, tectonic-scale deformation is always subjected to net compressive stress.[1]

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

1. ↑ Van der Pluijm, Ben A.; Marshak, Stephen (2004). Earth structure : an introduction to structural geology and tectonics (2nd ed.). New York, N.Y.. ISBN 978-0-393-11780-6. OCLC 889726522. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/889726522.

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