Shear bands can be divided into two parts in terms of their internal texture (Figure 1). The inner zones generally are made up of comminuted grains by grain fracturing and cataclasis, while the outer zones including the lateral termination regions have few fractured grains but they are generally intact.

Figure 1. Schematic diagram showing inner and outer zones of a shear band. The inner zone is made up of fractured grains and collapsed pores and the outer zone has tighter grain texture and fewer broken grains. From Aydin (1978).

Similar to other fundamental elements, deformation bands are commonly segmented (Figure 2). Please also see 'Composite Shear Bands' and 'Echelon Shear Bands.'

Figure 2. Interacting segments of a shear band zone in the Entrada Sandstone cropping out in Arches National Park, UT.