Basic construction of a Mohr Circle

All Engineering and Geology students should be able to understand and construct of Mohr Circles or Mohr diagrams by hand. Most companies use computer software to draw Mohr circles. However, it is important as a scientist for you to be able to do them manually. Indeed manual drawings are very useful in field work environments where you may have limited access to more sophisticated technologies. This is a guide was written specifically for the University of Calgary structural geology classes. However, the general scientific ideas behind Mohr circles will remain the same regardless of the application. I tried to make this article as simple as possible, so the general users can also benefit from it.

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Stereographic projection for structural analysis

The stereographic projection is a methodology used in structural geology and engineering to analyze orientation of lines and planes with respect to each other. The stereonets is a type of standardized mapping system that allows us to represent various angles in 3D space on a 1D paper. They are used for analysis of various field data such as bedding attitudes, planes, hinge lines and numerous other structures. This is a very useful tool because it can reduce the workload by avoiding lengthy calculations.

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