Strain Associated with the Fault-Parallel Flow Algorithm During Kinematic Fault Displacement

Deformation studies require that geological bodies are kinematically moved along faults. Fault-parallel flow is one of a small number of kinematic restoration algorithms developed for this purpose. This scale-independent method describes how material nodes are displaced parallel to the fault plane,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mathematical geosciences 2014-01, Vol.46 (1), p.59-73
Main Authors: Ziesch, Jennifer, Tanner, David C., Krawczyk, Charlotte M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Angles (geometry)
Bends
Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Computer Science
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Elongation
Fault lines
Faults
Geophysics
Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences
Hydrogeology
Kinematics
Mathematical models
Physics
Plate tectonics
Restoration
Statistics for Engineering
Strain
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Summary:Deformation studies require that geological bodies are kinematically moved along faults. Fault-parallel flow is one of a small number of kinematic restoration algorithms developed for this purpose. This scale-independent method describes how material nodes are displaced parallel to the fault plane, in the direction of fault movement. The one-dimensional strain of linear objects and two-dimensional strain of bodies within the hanging-wall during the restoration is shown for all cutoff angles and all angles of fault bends. A line moving over a fault bend is either shortened or extended depending on its initial orientation. However, the elongation of the line is significantly different under shortening and extension, with respect to the fault bend angle. The geometries of compressional fault systems, in which faults change angle by about 20 to 40°, generate low values of elongation. Modeling of extensional faults, which typically have steeper dips (60 to 80°) and therefore have tighter fault bends, causes high, unnatural values of elongation. The calculated strain ellipse ratios are directly proportional to the fault bend angle, corroborating the one-dimensional results. The fault-parallel flow method should be used primarily to kinematically restore and forward-model compressional faults, and other faults where the fault bend angles do not exceed 40°.
ISSN:1874-8961
1874-8953
DOI:10.1007/s11004-013-9464-3