Principles of Rock Deformation : Springer : 9789027723680 : 9027723680 : 31 Jan 1987 : Physicists attempt to reduce natural phenomena to their essential dimensions by means of simplification and approximation and to account for them by defining natural laws. Paradoxically, whilst there is a critical need in geology to reduce the overwhelming field information to its essentials, it often re­ mains in an over-descriptive state. This prudent attitude of geologists is dictated by the nature of the subjects being consi­ dered, as it is often difficult to derive the significant parame­ ters from the raw data. It also follows from the way that geolo­ gical work is carried out. Geologists proceed, as in a police investigation, by trying to reconstruct past conditions and events from an analysis of the features preserved in rocks. In physics all knowledge is based on experiment but in the Earth Sciences experimental evidence is of very limited scope and is difficult to interpret. The geologist'