Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Volatile Organic Compounds are toxic organic chemicals with higher tendencies to change from liquid to vapor phase under typical earth pressures and temperatures, and usually have little-to-no water solubility characteristics. VOCs are commonly found within hydrocarbon-based fuel additives, industrial solvents, refrigerants, hydraulic fluids, degreasers, and more. These…

Growth Fault Growth Fault: In geology, a growth fault is a strike-slip fault or dip-slip fault that moves contemporaneously with deposition. This causes the throw (amount of vertical displacement) to increase with depth and the strata to be thicker on the downthrown side as compared to the upthrown side.

Direct Shear Test A Direct Shear Test is a geotechnical engineering laboratory procedure that measures the shear strength value of a soil sample.

Twinning Definition Twinning is the observed intergrowth of multiple crystals in a symmetrical fashion. This term applies to the examination of rock thin sections, in the field of optical mineralogy.

Consistency The term “Consistency” in the fields of engineering geology and geotechnical engineering means the degree of adhesion between soil particles within a sample, that are observed to resist deformation or rupture.

Critical Void Ratio The “Critical Void Ratio,” in soil science and geology, represents the final void ratio of a soil sample, at ultimate strength. And Critical Void Ratio is achieved by the loose and dense samples of the same soil post-shearing.