Free online courseStructural Geology: Mapping, Stereonets, Stress, Strain, Faults and Folds

Course Description

Learn how geologists read and build the structural story of the Earth with this free online course in structural geology from the University of Stavanger. Designed for basic education within geography, it connects core concepts with practical workflows used in the field and in the subsurface.

Progress from foundational ideas to hands-on mapping skills, including the orientation of lines and planes, vector thinking, thickness calculations, uncertainty and error propagation, and classic mapping problems such as the three-point problem, outcrop traces, and the rule of Vs. You will also explore geologic maps, cross sections, down-plunge projection, and how to integrate seismic reflection and well data to interpret structures below the surface.

Build confidence with stereonets by plotting planes, lines, poles, and rotations, then move into deformation by developing an intuitive and quantitative grasp of strain. The course introduces measures and mathematics of strain, infinitesimal versus finite strain, and the use of Mohr circles, including ways to estimate strain from deformed markers through geometric methods and Mohr circle approaches.

Extend your understanding to stress and rock deformation, including subsurface stress, Mohr circle derivation and application, experimental deformation, failure envelopes, brittle behavior, and the strength of the crust. Finally, develop a clear framework for analyzing faults and folds, covering subsurface and map-based interpretation, juxtaposition, kinematics and indicators, stress axes, fault classification, reactivation, and the mechanics and classification of folding. By the end, you will have a coherent toolkit for interpreting structural patterns and communicating them through maps and quantitative analysis.