Overburden pressure.html



Overburden pressure, lithostatic pressure, and vertical stress are terms that denote the pressure or stress imposed on a layer of soil or rock by the weight of overlying material.

The overburden pressure at a depth z is given by

where ρ(z) is the density of the overlying rock at depth z and g is the acceleration due to gravity. p₀ is the datum pressure, like the pressure at the surface.

See also

• Sedimentary rock
• Effective stress
• Pore water pressure

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