The TR method: the use of slip preference to separate heterogeneous fault-slip data in compressional stress regimes. The surface rupture of the 1999 Chi-Chi Taiwan earthquake as a case study

- Fault-slip analysis in compressional stress regimes with vertical σ1 stress axis.
- The role of the stress ratio to the fault slip preference and fault slip tendency.
- Presentation of the kinematic axes, slip preference and slip tendency of the faults.
- Application of the TR method on fault ruptures of 1999 Chi-Chi Taiwan earthquake.
- The TR method defines the stress partitioning due to the activated fault structures.

Synthetic contractional fault-slip data have been considered in order to examine the validity of widely applied criteria such as the slip preference, slip tendency, kinematic (P and T) axes, transport orientation and strain compatibility in different Andersonian compressional stress regimes. Radial compression (RC), radial-pure compression (RC-PC), pure compression (PC), pure compression-transpression (PC-TRP), and transpression (TRP) are examined with the aid of the Win-Tensor stress inversion software. Furthermore, the validity of the recently proposed graphical TR method, which uses the concept of slip preference for the separation of heterogeneous fault-slip data, is also examined for compressional stress regimes. In these regimes only contractional faults can be activated, and their slip preferences imply the distinction between “real”, i.e., RC, RC-PC and PC, and “hybrid”, i.e., PC-TRP and TRP stress regimes. For slip tendency values larger than 0.6, the activated faults dip at angles from 10° to 50°, but in the “hybrid” regimes faults can dip with even higher angles. The application of the TR method is here refined by introducing two controlling parameters, the coefficient of determination (R2) of the Final Tensor Ratio Line (FTRL) and the “normal” or “inverse” distribution of the faults plotted within the Final Tensor Ratio Belt (FTRB). The application of the TR method on fault-slip data of the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, Taiwan, allowed the meaningful separation of complex heterogeneous contractional fault-slip data into homogeneous groups. In turn, this allowed the identification of different compressional stress regimes and the determination of local stress perturbations of the regional or far-stress field generated by the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake. This includes clear examples of “stress permutation” and “stress partitioning” caused by pre-existing fault structures, such as the N-S trending Chelungpu thrust and the NE-SW trending Shihkang-Shangchi fault zone.