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McConnel Thrust at Mount Yamnuska, AB
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Structural Geology and Tectonics EAS 421/521
© John W.F. Waldron 2001 - 2015
Structural Geology is primarily concerned with the deformation of the solid Earth. We will see and learn about structures produced by deformation in outcrops, in geologic maps, in cross-sections and seismic profiles, and under the microscope. The Structural Geology and Tectonics course is concerned with understanding, and where possible measuring, the deformation that produced those structures. We use this information to understand both the tectonic causes of deformation and the importance of structures for exploration of the Earth's lithosphere.
Like the lithosphere, this site is permanently under construction: please be patient if not all the links are connected.
If you are a member of the class and you see a broken link or other problem, please email the instructor john.waldron "at" ualberta.ca!
What's the difference between EAS 421 and 521?
- EAS 421 is a second course in structural geology and tectonics, built upon the foundation of EAS 233 'Geologic Structures'. You should take EAS 421 if you want a broad understanding of the processes that have moved plates, deformed rocks, and built mountains, over 4 billion years of Earth history. If you are registered in EAS421 and have not taken EAS 233, or if you took EAS 233 before 2009, please let the instructor know.
- EAS 521 is a graduate-level version of EAS 421. It is aimed at graduate students in the Integrated Petroelum Geoscience program. EAS 521 is not suitable for graduate students who have already taken more advanced undergraduate courses in structural geology equivalent to EAS 421 If this is the case for you, you may be interested in EAS 541 Topics in Tectonics and Structural Geology.
- Students who register in EAS 521 will attend the same lectures and labs as EAS 421 students, but the assigned work will involve some different components, appropriate to graduate-level study. Graduate students in the IPG program will attend lab D3 for this reason. EAS 421 and 521 will be marked and graded separately.
Resources
Course Outlines EAS421/EAS521(provisional until approved by department)
eClass page (for registered students)
Note: sample test questions (supplementary evaluative material) are now available in eclass
Animations and images on this site are copyright © John Waldron 1998-20150. (For non-commercial, educational use of this material, contact john.waldron@ualberta.ca)
Topics covered in lectures, with supplementary materials
This list will be updated progressively during the term.
- I Lines, planes and orientation data
- II Plate Kinematics
- Animations
- Animations of plate motion in the east Pacific by Tanya Atwater, University of California at Santa Barbara http://emvc.geol.ucsb.edu/
- Animations of plate movement in the east Pacific, illustrating effects on Cordilleran Magmatism, after JK Madsen et al. Cenozoic to Recent plate configurations in the Pacific Basin: Ridge subduction and slab window magmatism in western North America: Geosphere; February 2006; v. 2; no. 1; p. 11–34
- Reading: Frisch, Meschede & Blakely 2011 Plate Tectonics, Chapter 2: Plate movements and their geometric relationships
- III Stress
- Notes
- Readings: An introduction to stress is given in Structural Geology by Fossen Chapters 4, and 5. Additional information on the effects of stress on elastic and brittle materials is found in sections 6.1 - 6.3 and 7.1 - 7.3; Chapter 9 covers the use of faults in making inferences about paleostress.
- Formula sheet
- World stress map
- IV Rifts and extensional tectonic environments
- V Deformation and Strain
- Notes
- Readings: Structural Geology by Fossen Chapters 2, sections 2.1-2.16, and chapter 3. In this section we focus on finite strain - the difference between rocks in the undeformed state and the deformed state. We will not cover material in later sections of chapter 2 that deal mainly with progressive strain and flow.
- Formula sheet
- VI Introduction
to orogens
- Notes
- Readings: Structural Geology by Fossen Chapter 16
- VII Foreland fold-thrust belts
- VIII Subduction and mélange
- IX Metamorphic belts
- Notes
- Reading: Structural Geology by Fossen Ch. 11, 12, 21
- X Rheology and shear zones
- XI Progressive strain and flow
- XII Strike-slip tectonics
- Notes
- Reading: Structural Geology by Fossen Chapter 18.
- Additional diagrams illustrating strike slip, transpression, transtension.
Other animations and links
Note: most of the animations here are © John Waldron 2001-2014. They are made available for non-commercial, educational use provided their source is acknowledged and this notice is included when they are displayed; please contact John Waldron john.waldron@uaberta.ca for conditions of use.
