Past exam of the year 2 of the earth sciences (geology) course of the University of Oxford / 2023 / Paper 1 / 3 / b / iii / Solution

Trace the strike-slip fault along the southwest–northeast valley, approximately through $(u,v)=(0.12,0.83),(0.28,0.75),(0.44,0.68),(0.53,0.62),(0.65,0.42),(0.83,0.20),(0.97,0.04)$. The long oblique strand is interpreted as left-lateral strike-slip faulting: draw the southeastern side moving northeast and the northwestern side moving southwest, parallel to the trace.

This sense is consistent with horizontal north–south maximum compression: for an approximately northeast-striking fault, the resolved shear stress moves the southeastern side northeastward relative to the northwestern side. The deflected central drainage supports that interpretation. The regional stress direction supplies a consistency check rather than a uniquely precise trace location; follow the geomorphic break rather than drawing a single straight line through every coordinate.