Transpression (source code)

= Transpression

<Transpression> combines horizontal shearing with shortening across a deforming region. On individual <geological faults>, that combination can appear as <oblique-slip faulting> with a reverse component. At larger scales, different structures can partition the motion: some accommodate <strike-slip faulting>, while others accommodate <reverse faulting> or <folding>.

A restraining bend in an otherwise laterally moving fault system illustrates the mechanism: the geometry makes neighbouring blocks converge as well as slide past one another, promoting uplift and distributed deformation. A vertical surface displacement consequently does not mean that every part of the regional motion is vertical. The relevant comparison is between measured displacements, the <fault strike> and the full regional deformation pattern.