Tackling structural geology problems today requires a quantitative understanding of the underlying physical principles, and the ability to apply mathematical models to deformation processes within the Earth. Accessible yet rigorous, this unique textbook demonstrates how to approach structural geology quantitatively using calculus and mechanics, and prepares students to interface with professional geophysicists and engineers who appreciate and utilize the same tools and computational methods to solve multidisciplinary problems. Clearly explained methods are used throughout the book to quantify field data, set up mathematical models for the formation of structures, and compare model results to field observations. An extensive online package of coordinated laboratory exercises enables students to consolidate their learning and put it into practice by analyzing structural data and building insightful models. Designed for single-semester undergraduate courses, this pioneering text prepares students for graduates studies and careers as professional geoscientists.

A modern quantitative approach to structural geology and tectonics for advanced students and researchers.

The book includes new material, in particular examples of 3-D models and techniques for using kinematic models to predict fault and ramp-anticline geometry. The book is geared toward the professional user concerned about the accuracy of an interpretation and the speed with which it can be obtained from incomplete data. Numerous analytical solutions are given that can be easily implemented with a pocket calculator or a spreadsheet.

This combination of text and lab book presents an entirely different approach to structural geology. Designed for undergraduate laboratory classes, it provides a step-by-step guide for solving geometric problems arising from structural field observations. The book discusses both traditional methods and cutting-edge approaches, with emphasis given to graphical methods and visualization techniques that support students in tackling challenging two- and three-dimensional problems. Numerous exercises encourage practice in using the techniques, and demonstrate how field observations can be converted into useful information about geological structures and the processes responsible for creating them. This updated fourth edition incorporates new material on stress, deformation, strain and flow, and the underlying mathematics of the subject. With stereonet plots and solutions to the exercises available online at www.cambridge.org/ragan, this book is a key resource for undergraduates, advanced students and researchers wanting to improve their practical skills in structural geology.

"Structural Geology has been taught, largely unchanged, for the last 50 years or more. The lecture part of most courses introduces students to concepts such as stress and strain, as well as more descriptive material like fault and fold terminology. The lab part of the course usually focuses on practical problem solving, mostly traditional me-thods for describing quantitatively the geometry of structures. While the lecture may introduce advanced concepts such as tensors, the lab commonly trains the student to use a combination of graphical methods like orthographic or spherical projection, as well as a variety of plane trigonometry solutions to various problems. This leads to a disconnect between lecture concepts that require a very precise understanding of coor-dinate systems (e.g., tensors) and lab methods that appear to have no common spatial or mathematical foundation. Students have no chance to understand that, for example, seemingly unconnected constructions like down-plunge projections and Mohr circles share a common mathematical heritage: they are both graphical representations of coordinate transformations"--Provided by publisher.

The trend towards a more quantitative approach in structural geology has stimulated the development of a number of techniques for determining the strain in deformed rocks of which the most widely used is one called the Rf/&fgr; method. With more than 100 applications of the technique published in the literature this is a timely work, describing as it does the practicalities of the method and its recent refinements. The comprehensive collection of standard graphs, indispensable for the determination of the strain, has never previously been widely available.