Dilation and slip tendency for a portion of the Southern Bartlett Springs fault and surrounding fault zones in the Wilbur Springs area, Northern California Coast Ranges

This dataset presents modeled values of dilation tendency and slip tendency for faults within and surrounding the Wilbur Springs region of northern California, including the Bartlett Springs Fault, Cross Springs Fault, Little Indian Valley Fault Zone, and a network of secondary structures. The region is actively deforming, as evidenced by ongoing uplift and folding, suggesting it is currently undergoing transpression and right-lateral shear in the larger San Andreas plate boundary.

Dilation and slip tendency describe the relative measure of how favorably oriented a fault is for slip under a given stress field, these are not probabilities although they are represented by values of 0 to 1. Dilation tendency is the tendency for faults to open in response to the regional stress field, while slip tendency represents the tendency that a fault will experience slip. Together, these measures provide insight into fault mechanics and potential fluid pathways under current stress conditions.

The stress field used in these calculations assumes a maximum horizontal compressive stress oriented N26°E, consistent with regional stress inversion studies (Provost and Houston, 2003). Relative stress magnitudes are derived from stress drop data within the broader San Andreas fault system (Lozos, 2015). These stress-based metrics were applied to detailed fault geometries in 10-meter long segments to assess spatial patterns of slip and dilation potential, which may be relevant to understanding seismic hazard and fluid migration in the area.