On the high scientific quality of early research on strain and deformation fabrics (1835–1908)
<p>High-quality research developed during the 19th century established the foundations of rock strain investigations. Careful observation and description of rock fabrics and deformed objects in rocks allowed early researchers to obtain mathematical expressions that are still used today to quan...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2021-10-01
|
| Series: | History of Geo- and Space Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://hgss.copernicus.org/articles/12/197/2021/hgss-12-197-2021.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>High-quality research developed during the 19th century
established the foundations of rock strain investigations. Careful
observation and description of rock fabrics and deformed objects in rocks
allowed early researchers to obtain mathematical expressions that are still
used today to quantify strain. Thus, in a span of a few decades, and
applying basic scientific methodology, these researchers developed the
concept of the strain ellipsoid, defined mathematically the difference
between constant-volume and volume-loss deformation, constructed the basic
equations that define pure and simple shear deformation, and discovered the
mechanism of pressure–solution deformation. These advances were fundamental
to seminal works on strain analysis and deformation fabrics in the mid-20th
century. However, they are rarely addressed in modern studies, which
suggests a lack of awareness among current researchers. In order to bring
attention to these landmarks of strain research, I provide a historical
review of the high standards of analysis that led to the definition of the
fundamental equations and concepts on strain during the 19th century.</p> |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2190-5010 2190-5029 |