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compressive stress is positve by geologic convention
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GPT-5 mini
Yes — in many geologic and tectonic contexts compression is taken as positive. Common points to note:
- Geologic/tectonic convention: compressive stress (shortening) is often defined positive, so σ1 (the maximum principal stress) is a compressive (positive) stress.
- Engineering/mechanics convention: tensile (pulling) is frequently taken positive, so compressive stresses are negative. Different texts may use different signs.
- Related conventions: strain is often treated oppositely (engineering strain is positive for extension; many structural geologists report shortening as positive).
- Practical advice: always state the sign convention you are using and check the convention used in any data source or software (Mohr circle plots, focal-mechanism solutions, laboratory results) — otherwise you can get the orientation or sense of faulting reversed.
So yes, but be explicit about conventions to avoid confusion.
- Geologic/tectonic convention: compressive stress (shortening) is often defined positive, so σ1 (the maximum principal stress) is a compressive (positive) stress.
- Engineering/mechanics convention: tensile (pulling) is frequently taken positive, so compressive stresses are negative. Different texts may use different signs.
- Related conventions: strain is often treated oppositely (engineering strain is positive for extension; many structural geologists report shortening as positive).
- Practical advice: always state the sign convention you are using and check the convention used in any data source or software (Mohr circle plots, focal-mechanism solutions, laboratory results) — otherwise you can get the orientation or sense of faulting reversed.
So yes, but be explicit about conventions to avoid confusion.
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