SECONDARY FAULTING: I. THEORETICAL ASPECTS

Abstract

The results of two previous papers by Chinnery published in 1963 and 1964 are used to calculate the distribution of stress that is present after the formation of a strike-slip fault. The pattern obtained shows that although the initial stress is reduced over most of the length of the fault, there are strong concentrations of shear stress near the ends. It is therefore suggested that secondary faulting is due to these end effects, and patterns of likely modes of secondary faulting are shown. The geological implications of these results are discussed in another paper, on the geological aspects of Secondary faulting.