Overburden pressure

Pressure is force magnitude applied over an area. Overburden pressure is a geology term that denotes the pressure caused by the weight of the overlying layers of material at a specific depth under the earth's surface. Overburden pressure is also called lithostatic pressure, or vertical stress.

This pressure is usually indicated as , or alternatively , in the coordinate system of the stress ellipsoid.

At any depth in the subsurface, a point subjected to stresses can be analysed by resolving these stresses along three mutually perpendicular axes, constructing the stress ellipsoid whose axes correspond respectively to the directions of maximum, minimum and intermediate stress. In tectonically stable regions, or under an extensional tectonic regime, the major axis of this ellipsoid is oriented vertically and corresponds in direction and magnitude to lithostatic pressure.

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