Displacement control of geologic structures

Structural geologists routinely undertake geological analyses, particularly studies of faulting, by assuming that applied stresses are the controlling parameters. An alternative view is the assumption that material velocities, incremental displacements, or total displacements are imposed on the system, with stresses then part of the material response to these imposed boundary conditions. In our view, taking velocities and displacements as independent variables in deformation and stresses as dependent variables requires fewer assumptions and is more consistent with the observed geology.