Deformation Vocabulary

Front

Deformation

Back

The bending, tilting, and breaking of Earth's crust; the change in the shape of rock in response to stress.

Front

Folding

Back

The bending of rock layers due to stress.

Front

Anticline

Back

An upward fold in rock formed by the compression of Earth's crust.

Front

Syncline

Back

A downward fold in rock formed by compression in the Earth's crust.

Front

Fault

Back

A break in the Earth's crust.

Front

Shear Stress

Back

Stress that occurs when forces act in parallel but opposite directions, pushing parts of a solid in opposite directions.

Front

Tension

Back

Stress that stretches rock so that it becomes thinner in the middle.

Front

Compression

Back

A force that pushes on or squeezes a material.