Homework 2: Geodynamics

1,2

Luis Blanco , Edgar Tarazona1, Santiago Cuartas1, Carlos Valencia1,3

Departamento de Geociencias
2
Departamento de Ingeniera civil y ambiental
3
Departamento de Ingeniera mecnica
1

Universidad de los Andes, Bogot, Colombia

31-Agosto-2016

2.2
A mountain range has an elevation of 5 km. Assuming that
c = 2800 kg

= 3300 kg m3,

m3 , and that the reference or normal continental crust has a

thickness of 35 km, determine the thickness of the continental crust beneath the
mountain range. Assume that hydrostatic equilibrium is applicable

Solution:
Using Airys hypothesis of isostasy:

( h+hc +r ) c =h c c +r m
h c +h c + r c =hc c + r c
c

h c =r ( m c )
2800 kg
)
3
h c
m
r=
=
=28000 m=28 km
m c ( 33002800 ) kg /m3
5000 m(

2.3
There is observational evidence from the continents that the sea level in the
Cretaceous was 200 m higher than today. After a few thousand years, however, the
seawater is in isostatic equilibrium with the ocean basins. What was the
corresponding increase in the depth of the ocean basins? Take w = 1000 kg m3
and the density of the displaced mantle to be m = 3300 kg m3.

Solution:
w ( 200+h o+ hm ) + oc ho= w h o + oc h oc + m hm

m ( 200+h m )= m h m
hm =

w200 2001000
=
=86.95 m
mw
2300

Rta=286.95 m

2.6
A simple model for a continental mountain belt is the crustal compression model
illustrated in Figure 26. A section of the continental crust of width w0 is
compressed to a width wmb. The compression factor is defined by
m s
= w0 . wmb
Show that the height of the mountain belt h is given by
h=h (m cc)(1).
Assuming=2, hcc =35km,m =3300kgm3,andcc =2800kgm3, determine the
height of the mountain belt h and the thickness of the crustal root b.

Solution:

wo
wmb

w o h cc =w mb (h+ hcc +b)

h+h cc + b= hcc
b=hcc ( 1 )h

( h+ hoc +b ) c =c hcc + m b

h c +b c = m b
hc =b mb c

h=

h=

h=

h+

b ( m c )
c

[ h cc ( 1 ) h ] ( m c )
c

h cc ( 1 ) ( m c ) h ( m c )

c
c

h ( m c )
c

=hcc

( m c )
c

( mc ) / c
( mc )
1+=hcc
( 1 )
c
h

m
( m c )
=hcc
( 1 )
c
c

( )

h=hcc

( mc )
m

( 1 )

Now we have:

=2
hoc = 35 km
m= 3300

kg /m3

cc = 2800

kg /m

( 1 )

h=35 km

( 33002800 )
( 21 )
3300

h=5.303 km

b=35 ( 21 )5.303
b=29.697

2.10
Consider a block of rock with a height of 1 m and horizontal dimensions of 2 m. The
density of the rock is 2750 kg m3. If the coefficient of friction is 0.8, what force is
required to push the rock on a horizontal surface?

Solution:
xx=fgL
xx =0.8(9.81 m/s 2)(2750 kg /m3 )(1 m)
xx=215.82 Pa
xx =

F
A

F= xx A=21582 Pa ( 2 m2 m )
F=8.63 104 N

2.11
Consider a rock mass resting on an inclined bedding plane as shown in Figure 212.
By balancing the forces acting on the block parallel to the inclined plane, show that
the tangential force per unit area xy on the plane supporting the block is ghsin
( is the density and h is the thickness of the block). Show that the sliding condition
is

 = tan1(f).
Solution:

yy =gh

F x =0
F x = xy + yy sin=0
xy =ghsin

F y =0
F y = yy cos
F N =ghcos
xy =f F N =fghcos
The friction force is proportional to the normal force.
Then:

ghsin=fghcos
f =tan

=tan1 f

2.12
The pressure ph of fluids (water) in the pores of rocks reduces the effective normal
stress pressing the surfaces together along a fault. Modify Equation (225) to
incorporate this effect.
SOLUTION:

xX =f C gL
where:

f = coefficient of friction.
L=Thrust sheet length.

The Water pore pressure can be defined as:

Ps=g w h w
where:

gw =unit weight of water.

hw =depth below the water table.

We define then the new effective normal stress:

'xx = xX P s=f C gL
'xx = xx=f C gL+ P s
'

xx = xx=f C gL+ g w h w

2.18
Consider a simple two-layer model of a planet consisting of a core of density
c and radius b surrounded by a mantle of density m and thickness a b.
SOLUTION:
F g=

GM 1 M 2
r

a g=

a g=

GM 1
r2

G( C V c )
r

G C
=

4 3
r
3

bra

Now for
r
( 3b3 )
4
m
3

a g=G
r
( 3b3 )
m

4
G
3

r
( 3b 3)
m

(+( C b3 ) r2 )

4
G
3

m r 3 m b 3+ ( C b3 )
4
G
3
r2

b ( c m)+ m r 3
3

4
G
3

)= 4 G r

b 3 ( c m )
4
G m r +[
]
3
r2

P, is defined by:

dp
=g
dr
so,
d p= g dr

For

bra :
3

b ( c m )
4
p= g dr= m G r m +
dr
2
3
r
a
r
b3 ( c m )
4
m G r m +
dr
3
r2
a

2 2
4 m G b ( c m )

m G r 2 +
3
3
r

4
1 1
( 2r 2)+ m G b3 ( c m )
3
r a

2 2
m G
3

For

bra :
r

4
p= g dr=
Gc 2 r dr
3
b

2
2
Gc 2 r 2 = G c2 (b 2r 2 )
3
3
b

Taking into account, the previous calculation of P(r) for mantle and
evaluating it in

2.20
The measured horizontal principal stresses at a depth of 200 m are given in
Table 21 as a function of distance from the San Andreas fault. What are the
values of maximum shear stress at each distance?
SOLUTION:

The maximum shear stress is half the difference of the principal stresses:

1
( xy )max= ( 1 2)
2

Distance (km)
2
4
22
34

Maximum Shear Stress (MPa)

0.5
3
5
5.5