Fracture (geology) facts for kids
In geology, a fracture is any kind of separation or break in a rock formation. Examples are joints or faults. These divides the rock into two or more pieces. A fracture can sometimes form a deep, wide crack in the rock. They are usually caused when the rock is not strong enough to hold up under too much stress. This makes the rock crack along its weakest point. Fractures can provide access for fluids, like water or hydrocarbons, to move into the rock.
Images for kids
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The concentric circles in this sandstone are "plumose" (plume-like) structures that can form during the formation and propagation of a fracture
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Rough surfaces on a piece of fractured granite
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Shear fracture (blue) under shear loading (black arrows) in rock. Tensile cracks, also referred to as wing cracks (red) grow at an angle from the edges of the shear fracture allowing the shear fracture to propagate by the coalescing of these tensile fractures.
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Three dimensional computer model of a fracture and fault network (DFN/DFFN), showing the different geological sets in colours, generated by the DMX Protocol using a combination of probabilistic and deterministic procedures
See also
In Spanish: Fractura (geología) para niños
