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Structural geology
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{{short description|Science of the description and interpretation of deformation in the Earth's crust}} {{More citations needed|date=October 2008}} [[File:Folded gyprock.jpg|thumb|Originally horizontal strata deformed due to stress]] '''Structural geology''' is the study of the three-dimensional distribution of [[Rock (geology)|rock]] units with respect to their [[Deformation (geology)|deformational]] histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover information about the history of deformation ([[Deformation (mechanics)|strain]]) in the rocks, and ultimately, to understand the [[stress field]] that resulted in the observed strain and geometries. This understanding of the dynamics of the stress field can be linked to important events in the geologic past; a common goal is to understand the structural evolution of a particular area with respect to regionally widespread patterns of rock deformation (e.g., [[Orogeny|mountain building]], [[rift]]ing) due to [[plate tectonics]].
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