Analogue modeling of strike-slip faults: a new insight from different kinematic constrains

Strike-slip faults are subvertical faults with horizontal movement. They are a fundamental expression of plate tectonics and play a fundamental role in the dynamics of our planet. Transform faults are one of the three types of terrestrial plate boundaries and transcurrent faults occur almost in all tectonic environments on Earth. Understanding their kinematics and dynamics is, therefore, essential for advancing knowledge of plate’s deformation and their seismicity. However, the kinematics and dynamics of the different types of strike-slip faults are still not fully understood. In this study, we use analogue models to investigate four distinct types of strike-slip movement. The strike-slip systems are simulated by deforming a sand-cake on top of two rigid basal acrylic plates. We impose four movements to these plates: 1) two plates moving in opposite directions; 2) one plate stopped and another moving; 3) two plates moving in the same direction but at different velocities and 4) two plates moving in alternating manner in the same direction. The results show some unexpected and insightful outcomes that shed new lights on how some of these systems work. These experiments can be used to gain knowledge on natural prototypes and have implications for our understanding of how strike slip faults operate in different tectonics environments, with important implications for seismic hazards.