Software for slip-tendency analysis in 3D: A plug-in for Coulomb

Abstract

Slip-tendency analysis is a valuable tool in fault reactivation evaluation and seismic hazard assessment as it provides a means of quantifying the slip potential on mapped or suspected faults in a known or inferred stress field. We developed an interactive graphic tool to perform slip-tendency analysis. The application is written in MATLAB in the form of plug-ins for COULOMB, a graphic-rich deformation and stress change open-source software. In addition to identifying the faults most prone to reactivation, we compute and plot synthetic focal mechanisms from the direction and sense of likely slip. This allows compatibility between focal mechanisms and geological structures to be verified. Both individual faults and fault networks can be considered in three dimensions. The potential for slip depends on the prevailing stress field, the fault surface orientation and the coefficient of friction. These parameters are given interactively in a Windows environment. The application thus offers an easy-to-use graphical interface with the possibility of fast parameter modification and 3D visualization of the results.