How rocks deform

Exhibition Text

Rocks seem to be rigid and unyielding, but given enough time, they can change shape, and even flow. Unlike cold, brittle rocks, hot rocks under pressure are ductile — they flow and deform like putty. The dramatic folds exposed on mountainsides and in the samples in this exhibit were created when rocks were deformed in this way. Similar folds are forming today, deep in the roots of mountains.

For Educators