What type of stress is described as pressure in geology?

In geology, pressure refers to a stress that is applied evenly from all directions, which characterizes it as hydrostatic pressure. This type of stress occurs in various geological settings, such as deep within the Earth, where rocks are subjected to the weight of overlying materials. The uniform nature of this stress contributes to various geological processes, including the formation of metamorphic rocks and the behavior of rocks under extreme conditions.

In contrast, the other options refer to different concepts: unequal forces describe a situation leading to shear stress, where forces act in different directions; a force acting in one direction only suggests uniaxial stress, affecting the material differently than pressure; and elastic deformation is a response of materials to stress, but it does not define the nature of stress itself. Understanding the concept of pressure as equalized, three-dimensional stress is fundamental in various geologic processes and materials.