TS
Tectonics and Structural Geology

Features from the field: Strike Slip Faults Classification

Features from the field: Strike Slip Faults Classification

A strike slip faults is a fault on which most of the movement is parallel to the fault strike (Bates and Jackson, 1987). The term ‘wrench fault’ is also popularized in some researchers. Sylvester (1988) suggest not using wrench fault term for defining strike slip fault as general term because wrench fault was defined by Anderson (1905) as deep seated, regional and vertical faults. Many major strike slip faults; however, are not vertical and do not cut the lithosphere on the continental crust.

Strike slip faults are clas sify by two major groups by Sylvester (1988) with regard to where they occur: Transform faults are general term that cut the whole lithosphere and Transcurrent faults are general term do not cut the lithosphere.

Sylvester (1988) classification of the strike slip faults is the most used and convenient way to determine the type of the strike slip faults.

Table 1. Classification Strike Slip Faults by Sylvester (1988).

Figure 1. Plate tectonic setting of major classes of strike slip faults by Sylvester (1988).

Figure 2. Plate tectonic setting of major classes of strike slip faults by Sylvester (1988).

Mehmet Köküm is a PhD student and Research Assistant at the Firat University. He graduated from Firat University in Turkey with a Bachelor's degree in Geology Science. Before joining Firat University in 2012, he received a M.S. from Indiana University in the USA. In particular, He focuses on Kinematic Analysis (Paleostress) of the active fault by using fault slip data in order to explain past and present behaviors of the faults. He also uses remote sensing techniques and digital elevation models to trace the geometry of an active fault.


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