Many of the Earth's most fascinating natural processes are related to rock fractures. Volcanic eruptions, tectonic earthquakes, geysers, large landslides and the formation and development of mid-ocean ridges all depend on fracture formation and propagation. Rock fractures are also of fundamental importance in more applied fields such as those related to fluid-filled reservoirs, deep crustal drilling, tunnelling, road construction, dams, geological and geophysical mapping and field geology and geophysics.

There has been great progress in understanding fracture initiation and propagation over the past decades. The results of this progress are summarised in many papers, textbooks and monographs within the fields of fracture mechanics and materials science. Much of this improved knowledge of fracture development is of great relevance for understanding and modelling geological processes that relate to rock fractures.

The purpose of this book is to offer a modern treatment of rock fractures for earth scientists and engineers. The book is primarily aimed at, first, undergraduate or beginning graduate students in geology, geophysics and geochemistry and, second, scientists, engineers and other professionals who deal with rock fractures in their work. The book has been designed so that it can be used (1) for an independent study, (2) as a textbook for a course in rock fractures in geological processes and (3) as a supplementary text for courses in structural geology, seismology, volcanology, hydrogeology, geothermics, hazard studies, engineering geology, rock mechanics and petroleum geology.