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Secondary faulting, a consequence of a single continuous bifurcation process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

Dov Bahat
Dov Bahat*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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Summary

Fracture propagation in the crust under post-critical conditions (rapid propagation), and possibly in some instances even under sub-critical conditions (slow propagation) can produce fracture-branching in a single continuous process. Later local or regional stresses result in displacements along the fractures and secondary faulting develops. This concept can explain various secondary features like conditions of branching, branching-angle and shallow secondary faults. The splaying of the Hope Fault in New Zealand is primarily a result of early fracture bifurcation and later minor displacements.

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Articles
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Geological Magazine , Volume 117 , Issue 4 , July 1980, pp. 373 - 380
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

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