Ductility is the amount of strain a seal can withstand before [[Brittleness|brittle failure]] and the loss of top seal integrity. Rocks with an extremely high ductility can deform without brittle failure. On the other hand, rocks with low ductility can accommodate only a small amount of strain before [[Fracture|fracturing]]. A seal can be brittle but unfractured; a seal can be ductile but fractured. Fracture depends upon whether the strain exceeds the seal ductility.<ref name=Skerlec>Skerlec, G. M., 1999, [http://archives.datapages.com/data/specpubs/beaumont/ch10/ch10.htm Evaluating top and fault seal], in E. A. Beaumont and N. H. Foster, Exploring for Oil and Gas Traps: [http://store.aapg.org/detail.aspx?id=545 AAPG Treatise in Petroleum Geology 3], pp. 10-1–10-94.</ref> | Ductility is the amount of strain a seal can withstand before [[Brittleness|brittle failure]] and the loss of top seal integrity. Rocks with an extremely high ductility can deform without brittle failure. On the other hand, rocks with low ductility can accommodate only a small amount of strain before [[Fracture|fracturing]]. A seal can be brittle but unfractured; a seal can be ductile but fractured. Fracture depends upon whether the strain exceeds the seal ductility.<ref name=Skerlec>Skerlec, G. M., 1999, [http://archives.datapages.com/data/specpubs/beaumont/ch10/ch10.htm Evaluating top and fault seal], in E. A. Beaumont and N. H. Foster, Exploring for Oil and Gas Traps: [http://store.aapg.org/detail.aspx?id=545 AAPG Treatise in Petroleum Geology 3], pp. 10-1–10-94.</ref> |