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Multiple Choice
Which one of the following stress situations results in the folding of flat-lying rock layers?
A
Shear stress
B
Hydrostatic stress
C
Tension stress
D
Compression stress
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the types of stress that can act on rock layers: shear stress (forces sliding past each other), hydrostatic stress (equal pressure from all directions), tension stress (pulling apart), and compression stress (pushing together).
Recognize that folding of rock layers occurs when the layers are subjected to forces that push them together, causing them to bend rather than break.
Identify that compression stress involves forces pushing towards each other, which can cause the rock layers to buckle and fold.
Contrast this with tension stress, which tends to pull rocks apart and create fractures, and shear stress, which causes sliding rather than folding.
Conclude that among the given options, compression stress is the type of stress responsible for the folding of flat-lying rock layers.