| In the first part of this thesis, four papers are presented which discuss upper crustal stress fields, determined predominantly from borehole elongation measurements. Chapter 1 presents a stress field determined for central California in which maximum horizontal compression is nearly perpendicular (86;The second part of the thesis involves the quantitative analysis of compressional geologic structures formed in sedimentary rocks under low temperatures. Chapter 4 documents a strategy to balance cross sections of complex structures involving the comparison of the observed structure with simple, balanced, forward models. The models are completely constrained, easy to balance, help in understanding the processes and kinematics involved in the deformation, and allow evaluation of ideas without completely solving the structure. The balancing strategy is illustrated by the interpretation of a compressional structure in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Chapter 5 applies the forward modelling strategy to structures observed in reflection seismic data from the Perdido fold belt. Examples of growth fault-bend folds, fault-propagation folds, interference structures (out-of-syncline thrust faults and anticline-over-syncline structures), and box folds are documented. All of the structures analyzed are in quantitative agreement with fault-related fold theory. |
