CRITICAL TAPER MODEL OF FOLD-AND-THRUST BELTS AND ACCRETIONARY WEDGES

This paper describes an idealized mechanical model of a fold-and-thrust belt or accretionary wedge based on a bulldozer analogy, the critical taper model. The mechanics of a bulldozer wedge, the balance of forces in a porous medium, and Coulomb failure criteria are discussed. The theory of a non-cohesive wedge is described and the application of the model to the island of Taiwan is discussed. The final part of the paper presents an approximate general theory for a thin-skinned wedge. -A.W.Hall