What are fault stepovers?
I have an assignment based on this topic (step overs weren’t covered in the course content) My research topic is: What are stepovers, do all faults have them and what landform do they create. However I am really struggling to find a clear definition/explanation of what a stepover and therefore haven’t been able to answer any of the questions in my topic. I have spent days scouring peer reviewed articles (sources for this research task have to be peer reviewed and from the last 5 years) and they all mention stepovers but don’t actually define it. So if someone could explain what stepovers are in the simplest but most detailed way I would be very grateful.
– a very tired uni student
In: Planetary Science
This is NOT my specialty. As such, the answer is from a quick search, which appears to explain it well. However, keep in mind, it does not replace the peer-reviewed literature you alluded to (and should be using):
Fault stepovers are geological features where the main trace of a fault shifts from one segment to another. This shift can occur in two primary ways: underlapping or overlapping. In an underlapping stepover, the fault segments do not overlap, leaving a gap between them. In an overlapping stepover, the segments overlap each other.
Stepovers play a significant role in the dynamics of fault systems. They can influence the formation of geological structures such as push-up ranges and pull-apart basins, and they often mark the termination points of fault ruptures【1】【2】. Additionally, stepovers can control the development of geothermal systems and are associated with mineralization processes, such as gold deposits【3】【4】.
[1] [insights from fault stepovers, scaling properties and … – UQ eSpace](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:46ccf9d)
[2] [Stepovers and bends of strike-slip faults – NASA/ADS](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019AGUFM.T33D0380L/abstract)
[3] [Conceptual model of a stepover in a normal fault … – ResearchGate](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Conceptual-model-of-a-stepover-in-a-normal-fault-zone-Stepovers-appear-to-control-the_fig3_228585834)
[4] [(PDF) Fault stepovers and gold mineralisation – ResearchGate](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260073141_Fault_stepovers_and_gold_mineralisation)
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