Definition of «shear zone»

A shear zone refers to a large area of rock that has been deformed or stretched in such a way that different parts of the rock have moved past each other horizontally. This movement is usually caused by tectonic forces in the Earth's crust. Shear zones are important because they can create significant changes in the rock's structure, leading to the formation of faults, earthquakes, and the creation of new minerals.

Sentences with «shear zone»

Large flake graphite showings located on the property were confirmed with flake size in the range of 0.5 to 2 millimeters, typically present in shear zones at the contact of gneisses and marbles where the graphite content usually ranges from 2 % to 20 %. (frogheart.ca)
Such high shear zones occur in most types of flows, and in many bacterial habitats. (sciencedaily.com)
The JV covers a sequence of altered rocks adjacent to the Mary Kathleen shear zone that is rich with known deposits to the north and south, including copper, gold, uranium and rare earths. (businessnews.com.au)
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