= Deflected stream
A stream whose course changes direction where deformation displaces or obstructs its former route. Along a <strike-slip fault>, matching upstream and downstream channel segments can constrain <shear sense> and <fault offset>. A bend alone is not a unique tectonic marker: <erosion>, capture and pre-existing relief also alter drainage. A reliable offset estimate restores identified piercing features rather than equating all along-fault channel length to slip.
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