Deformation and Strain

Earth Structure (2nd Edition), 2004

W.W. Norton & Co, New York
Slide show by Ben van der Pluijm

© WW Norton, unless noted otherwise

 Strain

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 Deformation is:
b) Strain (distortion)
• Extension (or stretch)
length changes
• Internal rotation (vorticity)
finite strain axes rotate relative
to instantaneous strain axes
• Volume change
c) Rigid-body rotation (or spin)
instantaneous axes and finite axes rotate
together
d) Rigid-body translation

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 Homogeneous vs. heterogeneous strain

Homogeneous strain:

 Straight lines remain straight

 Parallel lines remain parallel
 Circles become ellipses (or
spheres become ellipsoids)

(deck of cards)

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 Principal strain axes

Homogeneous strain: transformation of square to rectangle, circle to ellipse.

Two material lines perpendicular before and after strain are the principal axes of the
strain ellipse (red lines). The dashed lines are other material lines that do not remain
perpendicular after strain; they rotate toward long axis of strain ellipse.

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 Strain path

 Incremental strain (strain steps)

 Finite strain (difference between unstrained and final shape)
 (Infinitessimal strain)

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 Progressive Strain - Basics

DePaor, 2002

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 Non coaxial and coaxial strain

a. (progressive) simple shear or non-coaxial strain

b. (progressive) pure shear, or coaxial strain
Instantaneous strain v. Finite strain: vorticity

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 Vorticity (internal rotation) and Particle paths

Kinematic vorticity number:

Wk = cos a
a. Wk = 0 (pure shear)
b. 0 < Wk < 1 (general shear)
c. Wk = 1 (simple shear)
d. Wk = ∞ (rigid-body rotation)

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 Superimposed strain

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 Transtension and transpression

a. Transtension
b. Transpression

Combinations of simple shear (non-coaxial strain) and

pure shear (coaxial strain)

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 Strain quantification

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 Strain quantities

e = elongation (e1, e2, e3)

s = stretch = (1+e); X, Y, Z
g = shear strain (y is angular shear)
l = quadratic elongation = (1+e)2 = s2

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 Strain quantities

(note missing „)

Constant area: X.Y = 1

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 Homework: Strain

A diagrammatic brachiopod
before (a) and after strain (b).
Determine elongation e of the
hinge line and angular shear y
and shear strain g of the shell.

A sequence of tilted sandstone beds is

unconformably overlain by a unit
containing ellipsoidal inclusions (e.g.,
clasts in a conglomerate). The strain ratio
of inclusions in sectional view is X/Y = 4,
and dip of underlying beds is 50o. What
was angle of dip for beds in sectional view
if inclusions were originally spherical?

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 Natural strain

For vanishingly small strain increment (or infinitessimal strain),

the elongation is:

The natural strain, ε (epsilon), is the summation of these increments:

Integrating gives:

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 FYI: Mohr construction for strain

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 Strain states

(a) General strain (X > Y > Z)

(b) Axially symmetric extension
(X > Y = Z)
(c) axially symmetric
shortening (X = Y > Z)
(d) plane strain (X > 1 > Z),
(e) simple shortening (1 > Z).

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 Representation of strain – map, section

Helvetic “nappes”, Switzerland.

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 Representation of strain - Flinn diagram

3D geometry in 2D plot: axial ratios

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 Finite strain compilation

Dashed area contains

additional 1000
analyses

Ranges:
1 < X/Z < 20
1 < X < 3
.13 < Z < 1

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 Strain

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 Strain and mechanical contrast

Passive markers have no mechanical contrast: bulk rock strain

Active markers have mechanical contrast: marker strain

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 Initially spherical objects
Deformed ooids after
(b) 25% (X/Z = 1.8)
shortening
(c) 50% (X/Z = 4.0)
shortening

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 Variably-shaped objects

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 Non-spherical objects

Center-to-center method (or Fry method): spacing

varies as function of finite strain

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 Non-spherical objects

Rf/f method

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 Angular change

Breddin method

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 Angular change

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 Finite strain compilation

Dashed area contains

additional 1000
analyses not shown

Ranges:
1 < X/Z < 20
1 < X < 3
.13 < Z < 1

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