Talk:Strike-slip tectonics

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Is strike-slip the same as stick-slip? Lobarrie 22:40, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Strike-slip movement on a fault means that the displacement along the fault surface is near horizontal, that is along the strike of the structure. Such faults are also known as transcurrent or wrench faults. Stick-slip refers to the tendency for the sides of a fault (or other surfaces in frictional contact) to slip past each other not smoothly, but by periods of no displacement, during which the stress builds up and short periods of rapid displacement. This is thought to be due to the presence of irregularities on the fault surface, sometimes call asperities, that need increased stress levels to allow sliding. Once the asperity is overcome the accumulated elastic strain is released, causing, in the case of large faults, earthquakes. A common analogy is with the effect of dragging a piece of chalk across a blackboard (chalkboard) or the effect of a violin bow on a string. Mikenorton 10:36, 8 September 2007 (UTC)