ESTIMATES OF STRAIN DUE TO BRITTLE FAULTING - SAMPLING OF FAULT POPULATIONS

The geometry of sampling domains is a first-order consideration in the characterization of brittle fault populations. In most cases, descriptions of fault size distributions based on map, cross-section, traverse or borehole data systematically underestimate the number of small faults present in a volume. The geometry of sampling domains may be accounted for using an empirical proportionality between fault displacement and trace length. Estimates of strain in which the sampling geometry is considered suggest that small faults accommodate a significant portion of the total strain due to the brittle faulting process.