STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY SEMINAR

A PRESENTATION

ON

STRIKE-SLIP FAULTS, ASSOCIATED

STRUCTURES , AND HYDROCARBON TRAPS.

BY
Fiona Haldane
Chinedu Amadi
Tom Johnson
Ildiko Vass -Talmage
AIMS

1. Descriptive overview of strike slip faults.

a. Identify major features and related structures.

2. Discuss basic mechanisms for SS faults to form.

3. Show relationship of strike slip faults as hydrocarbon traps.

4. Provide illustrative examples of strike slip faults in major basins.

 STRIKE-SLIP FAULTS, ASSOCIATED STRUCTURES AND
HYDROCARBON TRAPS.
Definition:

Strike slip faults are generally steeply dipping faults along which horizontal slip
has occurred. (Davis, G.H. and Reynolds, S.J., Structural Geology)

Displacement on a given fault may be either right lateral (dextral) or left lateral
(sinistral), and it results in no net addition or subtraction of area to the crust.
Characteristics:
Andersons Classification: maximum and minimum stresses are
horizontal and orthogonal.

Within strike slip fault systems conjugate Riedel Shears develop.

Strike slip faults give rise to imbricate fans, en echelon faulting

and relay ramp structures.

Where complex regional tectonics and stress regimes exist,

strike slip duplexes form.

Strike slip faults are mainly found at major plate boundaries,

orogenic belts and extensional basins.

Most of the truly large strike slip faults in continental areas

are fundamental plate boundaries, e.g., San Andreas in California,
and the Alpine fault in New Zealand.

Large strike slip faults are marked by prominent continuous

topographic features.

Strike slip faults have been given a number of names, such as tear,
wrench, transcurrent and transform faults.
 REGIONAL TECTONICS
Areas of continental strike slip faults
Plate boundaries: continental counter part to
transform faults
e.g San Andreas Fault, California

Escape tectonics associated with

compressional orogens,
e.g. (Himalayas)

Non regional settings: Tear faults in thrust

systems
(Pine Mountain thrust sheet in Appalachians)
MECHANISM:

The state of stress in strike-slip faulting consists of a vertical lithostatic

stress (2 = pgz); and two horizontal deviatoric principal stresses that
are compressional ( 1=push) in one direction and tensional ( 3=pull) in
the other.

One horizontal stress will be larger, than the other horizontal stress.
1> 3.

For strike slip faulting, the vertical stress (2) is always the
intermediate stress.

Generally, stress relationship for strike-slip fault are 1> 2> 3.

For strike slip faulting : 1> 2> 3

1, 3 = horizontal stress 2 = vertical stress

 DEXTRAL OR RIGHT SLIP FAULT

To an observer standing on one side of the fault, if the motion on the other
side is to the right, we have dextral strike slip fault.
 SINISTRAL OR LEFT LATERAL

To an observer standing on one side of the fault, if the motion on the other
side is to the left, we have Sinistral strike slip fault.
STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK

Four principal factors control the structural patterns that develop

along strike-slip faults

The kinetic framework (transtensional, transpressional, or parallel)

The magnitude of the displacement

The material properties of the rocks and sediments in the deforming zone.

The configuration of pre-existing structures

STRIKE SLIP BASINS

Divide into hot and cold types based on whether the mantle has been
involved in their formation.

Hot basins: Uniform extension models with modifications for lateral

heat loss have been applied with some success.

Cold basins: Thin skinned , post-deformational, thermal subsidence is

Insignificant.
BASIN TYPES

FAULT-BEND BASINS

STEPOVER BASINS

TRANSROTATIONAL BASINS

TRANSPRESSIONAL BASINS

POLYGENETIC BASINS

POLYHISTORY BASINS
FAULT-BEND BASINS: This typically develop at releasing bends along
strike slip faults.
STEPOVER BASINS: generally develop from transtension that develops
between the unconnected ends of two parallel to sub-parallel strike slip
faults or strands of the same fault.
TRANSROTATIONAL BASINS: develops between strike slip faults as a
result of the rotation of blocks about a sub-vertical axis in the same direction
as the principal shear strain, clockwise in right simple shear and counter
clock-wise in left simple shear.
TRANSPRESSIONAL BASINS: are generally long, narrow structural
depression that lie parallel to, but outboard of restraining bends in strike-
slip faults.
POLYGENETIC BASINS: develop as a result of local strike-slip
in larger regions of generally divergent or convergent tectonics.
POLYHISTORY BASINS: develop where episodes of strike slip
alternate with or are replaced by episodes of extensional rifting,
contractile thrusting, or other styles of deformation.
FLOWER STRUCTURES

In a strike slip duplex, the shape of the faults on the vertical section
normal to the main fault trace is referred to as a flower structure.

If the dip slip component is normal , the faults tend to be concave

up, and forms a negative flower structure or Tulip structure.

If the dip slip component is reverse, the faults tend to be convex up

and form a positive or palm tree structure.

Examples of these two types of flower structures can be seen in

seismic reflection profiles from the southern Andaman sea, and from
the Ardmore basin in southern Oklahoma.
Positive Flower Structure Ardmore basin , Oklahoma.
Example 1 San Andreas Fault
System, California
 Dextral fault system
Large amount of different basin
structures form along its length.
Hydrocarbon reserves
accumulate in transcurrent fault
systems.
The trap in flower structure
formed by faulted anticlines.
Estimated oil reserves in
Californian basins is >15 billion
BOE (Selley, 1998).
Unrecoverable at this time due
to large earthquake hazard that
is prevalent in the region.
Map showing Central Californian strike-slip
basins and their associated faults
 Example 2 North and East Anatolian fault system

Dextral fault

1500km long, extending from eastern Turkey to mainland Greece

Extremely seismically active, with seven M>7.0 earthquakes since 1939

Area of hypothesised remote earthquake triggering

Simulated model of the Anatolian Fault
System
Location map of the Anatolian Fault
System
 Example 3 Moroccan Rif System

Nekkor and Jebha faults

Nekkor fault is sinistral, 300 km long

Structures formed by strike-slip faulting provide HC traps.

Shallow features overlie heavily faulted anticlines.

These structures have formed several small oil fields in the area.
 Jebha fault is also sinistral

The large displacement on this has produced structural highs

and lows, which in turn have become heavily faulted themselves

Oil seeps have been found along this fault, showing the potential
for future hydrocarbon exploration

Geology of this Rif is very similar to the strike-slip fault system of

Venezuela and Trinidad, where hydrocarbons have been found

This area hasnt been explored, but has very good hydrocarbon
potential
Location map of the Moroccan Rif System
DISCUSSTION & CONCLUSION:

Six main type of strike-slip basins can be defined on the basis of their
fault patterns and mechanisms of formation.

The basins form in diverse tectonic settings and are commonly

deformed and reformed as fault blocks rise, fall, converge, diverge, and
are laterally translated in space and time.

Most long-lived strike-slip basins undergo repeated periods of

transtensional subsidence and transperssive uplift within complex flower
structures.

Strike slip faults are secondary structures commonly associated with

major faults and folds.
 TABLE OF CLASSIFICATION
Sylvesters (1988)

Interpolate Transforms Interpolate transcurrent faults

(deep seated, delimiting plate) (confined to crust)

Ridge transform fault: displaces segments Indent-linked strike slip faults

of oceanic crust with similar spreading vectors Bound continental blocks in collission
e.g Romanche fracture zone (Atlantic ocean) Zones. Eg North Anatolian (Turkey)

Boundary transform faults Intercontinental strike slip faults .

Separate different plates parallel to the plate Separate allochthons of different tectonic
boundary. Eg San andreas (california), alpine Styles eg Garlock fault (California)
fault (New Zealand)

Trench-linked strike-slip faults Tear faults

Accommodate horizontal component of oblique Accommodate different displacement within a given
subduction. Eg Atacama fault (chile), Median allochthon or between the Allochthon and adjacent
Tectonic line (Japan) structural units Eg Asiak fold thrust belt (Canada)

Transfer Faults
Living overstepping or en echelon strike
Slip faults eg Southern and Northern
Diagonal faults (eastern Sinai, Isreal)
The Anatolian system along with the San Andreas Fault
and the Moroccan Rif are examples of strike-slip faults.

Strike-slip faults cause severe geological hazards along

the San Andreas Fault and in the Anatolian mountain range;
which affects local population and economy. (i.e. San
Francisco, CA 1906, Kocaeli, Turkey 1999)

Hydrocarbon reserves are known to be associated with

strike-slip faults despite difficulties with trap preservation
and source rocks. Kingston(1983) indicates that about 47%
of all wrench cycles studied worldwide were found to
produce commercial hydrocarbons.
REFERENCES
Donald L. Turcotte and Gerald Schubert: Geodynamics,ch1 52, ch 8, pg 341

Twiss R J & Moores E M: Structural Geology ch 7, pg 113-127.

Price N J & Cosgrove J W: Analysis of Geological Structures, ch 6 pg 139-

159.

Engelder T: Stress Regimes in the Lithosphere, pg 14-15.

http://www.geo.wvu.edu/~jtoro/Structure/ppt/13StrikeSlipFaults.pdf
http://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Doc/TURKEY_bingol.pdf
http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/world/turkey/tec_setting.html
Strike-slip faults in the Moroccan Rif: Their geophysical signatures and
hydrocarbon
potential, Jobidon, G.P., SEG, 2005
Elements of Petroleum Geology, 2nd ed, Selley, R. C., 1998, Academic Press