STRUCTURE
Structural geology is the study of the three dimensional distribution of large bodies of rock, their surfaces, and the composition of their inside in order to try and learn about their tectonic history, past geological environments and events that could have changed or deformed them. These can be dated to determine when the structural features formed.
This book attempts to fill a need for an introduction to the geometrical techniques used in structural geology. The first steps in the study of geological structures are largely geometrical. This is true in the historical development of our knowledge of such structures, in the initial stages of any field investigation, and in the education of a structural geologist. This concern for geometry includes the methods of describing and illustrating the form and orientation of geological structures, and the solution of various dimensional aspects of these structures. |
This book provides an overview of techniques for constructing structural interpretations in 2-D, 21/2-D and 3-D environments; for interpolating between and extrapolating beyond the control points; and for validating the final interpretation. The underlying philosophy is that structures are three-dimensional solid bodies and that data from throughout the structure, whether in 2-D or 3-D format, should be integrated into an internally consistent 3-D interpretation. |
The focus of this book favors applications in regional tectonics, exploration geology, active tectonics, and geohydrology, but at all times it underscores the importance first of understanding fundamental concepts and principles. Perhaps, what is emphasized most is how structural geologists think about deformed rocks. |
The sealing property of a fault surface or zone, with respect to hydrocarbon migration, accumulation, and distribution, is complex, and is related to many interconnected variables that occur within and/or along the fault. These variables may differ in importance or dominance from one geologic province to another, thus causing significant changes in the sealing behavior of faults or a particular style of fault. In spite of these intricacies, fault seal of fault-bounded and/or fault-segmented closures can be described and analyzed in a systematic manner, leading to the formulation of predictive fault-seal guidelines for a given area. These guidelines reduce the risk in drilling fault-involved prospects for both the exploration and production of hydrocarbons.
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