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There are three main forces that drive deformation within the Earth. These forces create stress, and they act to change the shape and/or volume of a material. The following diagrams show the three main types of stress: compressional, tensional, and shear. Stress causes the build up of strain, which causes the deformation of rocks and the Earth's crust. Compressional stresses cause a rock to shorten. Tensional stresses cause a rock to elongate, or pull apart. Shear stresses causes rocks to slip past each other. Click on the buttons below to see an animation of these three types of stress.
Structure
of the Earth
Last modified on 8/13/98 by Maggi Glasscoe (scignedu@jpl.nasa.gov)
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