Which of these conditions tends to favor ductile rather than brittle deformation in rocks?

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a. lower pressure
b. lower temperature
c. lower rate of strain
d. lower burial depth

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? Best Answer

  • The answer is “C” – Lower rate of strain. It is probably important for your class (I assume you are in one because of the wording of your question) that you understand why.

    While rocks are hard and brittle at the surface, they can behave more like a viscous fluid at higher temperatures and pressures. A good way to see/understand this is by buying a piece of Silly Putty. If you strain (pull apart) the silly putty lightly and slowly, it will stretch and bend. If you strain it quickly or very hard it will snap and break like brittle rocks do. The lower (and more gradual) the strain rate is, the more likely the rock is to behave ductile (stretch and bend)

  • c. lower rate of strain

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