Fault-related folding: A review of kinematic models and their application

Detachment folding was first investigated in the early 20th Century, whereas the full significance of fault-propagation folds was recognized quite late in the 1980s. Seminal work on fault-related folding was carried out in the 1930s, but quantitative kinematic models have only been available in the last 30 years. These models are extremely valuable, because they allow a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of fault-related folds and lead to more accurate predictions of the sub-surface structure. From the mid-1990s onwards, numerical simulations have been used to identify how fault parameters (such as dip and fault-bend angle, propagation-to-slip ratio, and shape of the trishear zone) influence the geometry of the related folding. This is directly applicable to the analysis of the shape of anticlines produced. However, this does not mean that fold geometry is uniquely related to fault geometry; on the contrary, different kinematic approaches can lead to a similar fold shape.