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Earth and Space Sciences · Glossary

What is Domino faulting?

Definition 9.2 University Earth and Space Sciences — Year 3 · Chapter 9 — Extensional and Strike-Slip Tectonics

In domino faulting a set of parallel planar normal faults cuts the upper crust into rigid blocks which, as the region extends, rotate together like a row of books falling over: the faults become less steep and the beds, first horizontal, tilt the other way.

(a) Extension factor of a domain of rigid dominoes as its faults rotate from the initial dip _0 to . (b) Ratio of the effective principal stresses needed to slip a normal fault of a given dip under a vertical _1, for Byerlee’s two friction coefficients: least near 60 and 65, infinite at the lock-up dips 31 and 40.
(a) Extension factor of a domain of rigid dominoes as its faults rotate from the initial dip θ0\theta_0 to θ\theta. (b) Ratio of the effective principal stresses needed to slip a normal fault of a given dip under a vertical σ1\sigma_1, for Byerlee’s two friction coefficients: least near 60∘60{}^{\circ} and 65∘65{}^{\circ}, infinite at the lock-up dips 31∘31{}^{\circ} and 40∘40{}^{\circ}.
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