Contact (geology)
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A geological contact is a boundary which separates one rock body from another.[1] A contact can be formed during deposition, by the intrusion of magma,[2] or through faulting or other deformation of rock beds that brings distinct rock bodies into contact.[3]
The geologic subdiscipline of stratigraphy is primarily concerned with depositional contacts,[4] while faults and shear zones are of particular interest in structural geology. Faults and shear zones can be regarded as a form of secondary structure in the rock beds.[5]