Elastic Behavior

= E
Strain, is linearly proportional to stress
E = elasticity or Youngs modulus
Rock values of E are generally in GPa

Retrn to text

Rock Type

Modulus of Elasticity

Limestone
Dolomite

(MPa x 1000)
3-27
7-15

Limestone (very hard)

Sandstone
Quartz-sandstone
Greywacke
Siltstone
Gneiss - fine
Gneiss - coarse
Schist - Micaceous
Schist - Biotite
Schist - Granitic
Schist - Quartz

70
10-20
60-120
10-14
3-14
9-13
13-23
21
40
10
14

Schist Granitic
Schist - Quartz

10
14

Granite - very
altered

Granite slightly altered

10-20

Granite - good

20-50

Quartzite Micaceous
Quartzite sound
Dolerite
Basalt
Andesite
Amphibolite

28
50-80
70-100
50
20-50
90

Rock name

Maresha chalk

Schmidt Hammer data (this work)

Youngs modulus-E (GPa)

Mean rebound

Standard deviation

23.9

1.4
2.4

Cordoba-C limestone

41.5

1.1

2.2
12.5

Berea sandstone

50.8

1.9

Indiana limestone

50.6

1.2

Carrara marble

Gevanim syenite

Mt. Scott granite

58.6

65.0

73.4

19.3

Source of E

1,220

11

[13]

2,070

32

[14]

2,100

74

[12]

1.2

2,360

62

[18]

25.3

5.6

2,710

95

[16]

39.2

2.4

2,468

259

This work

53.4

2,650

243

This work

0.8

1.9

2.7

0.96

Uniaxial strength-C0 (MPa)

Density-D
(kg m-3)

75.6

VISCOUS BEHAVIOR
Continuous flow at constant stress
Linear, or Newtonian, viscous behavior is
expressed as:
= (*t)/visc, where visc = viscosity

Typical viscosities for rocks are between 1020 to

1028 Poise. 1 Poise = 1 Pa*sec
Viscous flow occurs in the solid earth below
melting temperatures
Rate is extremely slow and requires 106 yrs or
more
Typical strain rates, /t = 10-7/sec to 10-14/sec

 SubstanceViscosity (Pa s)

Air (at 18 oC)

Water (at 20 oC)
Canola Oil at room temp.
Motor Oil at room temp.
Corn syrup at room temp.
Pahoehoe lava
A'a lava
Andesite lava
Rhyolite lava

1.9 x 10-5 (0.000019)

1 x 10-3 (0.001)
0.1
1
8
100 to 1,000
1000 to 10,000
106 to 107
1011 to 1012

Fluid/Material

Temperature
(C)

Viscosity (Pa-s;
Pascal-seconds =
Newton-seconds/m2)*

Air

20

1.8 10-5

Water

20

1.0 10-3

Honey
20
*Viscosity is often given in units of Poise; 10 Poise = 1 Pa-s.
Flowing hot
lava
(Hawaiian
volcano)
Glass

1.6

~ 1150

~ 80

~ 20

~ 1012

Ice

~ 1012

Rock Salt

20

~ 1014

Shallow mantle

~ 1000

~ 1023-1024

Asthenosphere

~ 1300

~ 1019-1020

Deep mantle

> 1500

~ 1021-1022

Poissons Ratio
Poissons Ratio, =
transverse/longitudinal
In uniaxial tension, an incompressible
material should have a = 0.5
Most rocks have values of 0.25 0.35

FRACTURES AND FAULTS

STRENGTH and DUCTILITY

Strength= max stress before failure
Ductility = max strain before
failure

FRACTURES IN ROCKS
In uniaxial compression only extension
fractures form. They always form parallel
to the maximum compressive stress (mcs)
and perpendicular to the least
compressive stress ( which may also be a
tensile stress)

Shear fractures form in biaxial and triaxial cases

Shear fractures form at acute angles to the mcs
The extension fractures form the acute bisector
Shear fractures dominate over extension
fractures in terms of frequency
Faults are big shear fractures (slip amounts > 1
m)

BRITTLE BEHAVIOR

Notice how tiny cracks form early on before the visible crack occurs

When there is
only one stress
direction, only
extension fractures
form
In biaxial and triaxial
cases, shear fractures
dominate

FAULTS (LARGE-SCALE SHEAR FRACTURES) FORM

MAINLY AT PLATE BOUNDARIES

RED SEA AND SINAI PENINSULA

DIVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY

TRANSFORM PLATE BOUNDARY, CALIFORNIA

CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY:

Andean Type

CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY: ALASKA