Fault Migration in Strike-Slip Fault Zones:A Case Study of Ardekul Active Fault Zone - Eastern Iran

Fault migration, an important phenomenon in fault-zones, is neither fully investigated nor defined comprehensively. In this paper, based on observations on Ardekul active fault zone (Eastern Iran), an evolutionary path is considered for strike-slip fault zone. According to this evolutionary path four stages; namely embryonic, youth, maturity and declining have been recognized. This evolutionary path may be generalized over different scales of brittle deformation. The proposed evolutionary path makes the fault migration clear. A case study of Ardekul fault zone is chosen for applying defined fault zone evolution and fault migration. Based on the results, fault migration can be divided into two grades; first, the prior and second, the posterior fault migration. Details of prior migration are distinguished including time of occurrence, stages, types, scales and mechanisms of migration, effective factors on migration and its characteristic features. The posterior migration can be studied from the viewpoint of prior migration. Moreover, the fault migration can be comprehensively classified into two topics; production-oriented fault migration and development-oriented fault migration. Some clay cake experiments are also designed to show the prior and posterior fault migrations.