Climatically induced compressive stresses in the subsurface layer of the continents
The climatically induced horizontal compression stresses (additional to gravitational ones) in the upper crust of the continents are under consideration of the paper. The transition from the last glacial epoch to the modern interglacial one generated the global climate warming, temperature rise and thermal expansion of the upper-crustal rocks. Horizontal thermo-mechanical compression stresses rose there. According to calculations, in hard rocks these stresses are about 10 MPa at the depth 10 m and 2-3 MPa at 1000 m. The total horizontal stresses, taking into account of horizontal compressive stresses determined by vertical pressure of the rocks, are enclosed in the range of 9-15 MPa. The total horizontal stress/vertical rock pressure ratio is decreased from 55 to 0.5 in this depth range. It is equal to factual values of the ratio. Thus climatically induced warming of the upper-crustal rocks is the main cause of the additional compressions.