This guide presents seven itineraries to investigate the geology of the Central Andes, which can be done in seven days of field work along main roads in northern Argentina and Chile. A total of 32 field stops are organized in a complete cross-section that cuts over 600 km of the mountain range, from the Subandean Zone and Eastern Cordillera, between latitudes 24°–23° 20' (Purmamarca–Quebrada de Humahuaca), to the Coastal Cordillera, between latitudes 22° 10'–20° 17' (Tocopilla– Iquique), passing through the domains of North Puna, Western Cordillera, Modern Volcanic Arc, Cordillera de la Sal and Cordillera Domeyko.

The fi eld trip described in this guide starts in the “Norwegian Alps,” the high mountain massif called Jotunheimen, and runs out along Sognefjorden, the world’s longest fjord, to the islands along the west coast of Norway. Geologically, the Sognefjord transect provides a complete cross section through the Caledonian orogenic belt, of Paleozoic age, which in Norway stretches along the west coast from Stavanger to North Cape, a distance of ~2000 km.

It is easier to give examples of geological structures than to define them. The word 'structure' means 'that which is built or constructed'. Structural geologists use the word to signify something that has been produced by deformation; that is, by the action of forces on and within the Earth's crust. Structures consist of a geometric arrangement - of planes, lines, surfaces, rock bodies, etc. The form and orientation of this arrangement reflect the interaction between the deforming forces and the preexisting rock body. <...>

The small-scale structures referred to in this publication are those structures of tectonic origin that can be observed with the naked eye in the field. Their scale varies broadly between that of the hand-specimen to that of the exposure, or even mountainside. Such structures are the visible effects of rock deformation caused by local stresses and movements which have been induced in the rocks by external tectonic forces of possibly unknown origin. Recognition of these minor structures, and appreciation of their origin and significance assist the field geologist to elucidate the larger-scale geological structures of his area.

In 1930 Bruno Sander, in his now classic Gefiigekunde der Gesteine, presented a comprehensive account of the fabric of deformed rocks, new geometric methods for its analysis, and a broad philosophy for its kine¬ matic interpretation. Since then, and especially since the Second World War, Sander’s methods have been applied with varying degrees of success in attempts to elucidate the structure of metamorphic rocks in many countries. Outstandingly successful among such attempts are studies, still in progress, on the nature and geometry of repeated folding in the Highlands of Scotland.

After a well is drilled, a string of geophysical instruments (called a sonde) is placed into the borehole to record the geophysical properties of the subsurface strata. The data are digitally recorded in a nearby logging facility (commonly a logging vehicle for land-based rigs) and transferred to a paper log and/or saved as a digital .las data file. It is very common to get both a digital and paper copy of the well.

This Special Issue marks the tenth anniversary of the very first issue of the Journal of Structural Geology. The idea of a specialist journal in structural geology was first conceived at a meeting in September 1977 between Paul Hancock of Bristol University and Peter Henn of Pergamon Press. In June 1978 Paul Hancock formally became Editor-in-Chief, joined soon after by Tony Barber as Associate Editor. They then recruited an Editorial Advisory Board and called for papers for the first volume. Those who responded by submitting papers to a then-unknown new journal are still remembered with gratitude, because by showing their faith they started the ball rolling <...>