Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Inverting For Heterogeneous Slip On Three-Dimensional Fault Systems; A First Step Toward Understanding Fault Mechanics, Phillip Resor, D Pollard, F Maerten

Phillip G Resor

Many studies of earthquake triggering and fault interaction have relied on highly-idealized fault geometries and slip distributions. Geological and geophysical observations, however, reveal that faults typically are not single planar surfaces with uniform slip bounded by rectangular tiplines, but are composed of multiple curved surfaces with curved tiplines and heterogeneous slip distributions. The segments typically are organized into echelon, conjugate, and intersecting patterns. The discontinuities, bends, intersections, and slip heterogeneities generate stress concentrations that may promote or inhibit slip on nearby faults and thus play an important role in the mechanics of fault systems. It is therefore important to incorporate …