A Proposition for Geodetic Recording of Active Fault Zones

Establishing recent displacements along faults is an important and delicate task. Larger faults are accompanied by broader fault zones that require a specificapproachtogeodeticmeasurements of fault block displacements. The vector of fault block displacements, or resultant, is a vector sum of differential displacements within the fault zone. For the purposes of recording the displacements we propose the stabilization of a geodetic network of points positioned in fault blocks outside the fault zone, whereby the displacements would be manifested in the deformation of the network. The resultant displacement vector can then be derived from the latter deformation, and from that, the dip and strike of the fault zone as well as the extent of the displacement.