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An array of sub-parallel compaction bands exposed in the aeolian Jurassic Aztec Sandstone at the Valley of Fire, southeastern Nevada, USA. These sharply localized tabular features of porosity-loss compaction formed in response to tectonic loading, and trend perpendicular to the inferred direction of maximum compression. With internal permeability reduced as much as three orders of magnitude relative to a porous host rock, extensive networks of compaction bands could exert profound effects on patterns and rates of fluid flow in active reservoirs and aquifers. Photo courtesy of Kurt Sternlof.
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