The following issues are adressed :

1. The mechanical parameters that lead to strain localization on faults. Numerical models suggest that a low effective friction is needed to explain high fault slip rates observed on major continental faults like the San Andreas fault, the North Anatolian fault or in subduction zones. Understanding the impact of these mechanical parameters on the geological strain is still an open problem.
2. The variation of geological fault slip rate. The comparison between geodetic and geologic measurements of fault slip rate may suggest that the slip rate vary over quaternary times. This variation is somehow suprising because the plate motion driving the fault systems remains stationary during the same period of time. If these variations are real, mechanical explanations may be related to the variation of the fault strength and also to the transient accumulation of elastic strain in the lithosphere.

Related publications :

He J., J. Chery, Slip rates of the Altyn Tagh, Kunlun and Karakorum faults (Tibet) from 3D mechanical modelling, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 274, 50–58, 2008. PDF

Savage, M., Tommasi, A., Ellis, S., Chery, J., Modeling strain and anisotropy along the Alpine fault, South Island, New Zealand. In: Geotectonic Investigation of a Modern Continent-Continent Collisional Orogen: the Southern Alps, NZ. D. Okaya, T. Stern & F. Davey (eds.), American Geophysical Union., 2007.

Vernant, Ph. and J. Chéry, Low fault friction in Iran implies localized deformation for the Arabia-eurasia collision zone, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 246, 197-206, 2006. PDF

Vernant, Ph. and J. Chéry, Mechanical modelling of oblique convergence in the Zagros, Iran, Geoph. J. Int, 165, 991-1002, 2006. PDF

Provost, A.-S. and J. Chéry, Relation between effective friction and fault slip rate across the Northern San Andreas fault system, in Analogue and Numerical Modelling of Crustal Scale Processes, Geol. Soc. Special Pub., 253, 429-436, 2006. PDF

Chéry, J. and Ph. Vernant, Lithospheric elasticity promotes episodic fault activity, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 243, 211-217, 2006. PDF

Chéry J., M.D. Zoback, S. Hickman, A mechanical model of the San Andreas fault and SAFOD pilot hole stress measurements, Geoph. Res. Lett., SAFOD pilot hole special issue, 31, L15S13, doi:10.1029/2004GL019521, 2004. PDF

Provost, A.-S., J. Chéry and R. Hassani, 3D mechanical modeling of the GPS velocity field along the north Anatolian fault, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 209, 361-377, 2003. PDF

Chéry J., M.D. Zoback and R. Hassani, Rheology, strain and stress of the San Andreas Fault in Central and Northern California: A 3-D thermomechanical modeling study, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 22051-22066, 2001. PDF

Chéry J., Core complexes mechanics: from the Corinth Gulf to the Snake Range, Geology, 29, 439-442, 2001. PDF

Braun J., J. Chéry, A. Poliakov, D. Mainprice, A. Vauchez, A. Tommasi and M. Daignières, A simple parametrization of strain localization in the ductile regime due to grain-size reduction: a case study for olivine, J. Geophys. Res., 104 (B11), 25167-25182, 1999.

Cattin, R., H. Lyon-Caen, and J. Chéry, Quantification of interplate coupling in subduction zones and forearc topography, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 1563-1566, 1997.

Hassani, R., D. Jongmans, and J. Chéry, Study of plate deformation and stress in subduction processes using two-dimensional numerical models, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 17951-17965, 1997.

Hassani R., and Chéry, J., Anelasticity explains topography associated with Basin and Range normal faulting, Geology, 24, 1095-1098, 1996.

Dutruge G., Chéry J. and Hurtrez J.E., Une approche numérique des effets de taille de grain sur la localisation de la déformation ductile, C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, 317, 195-201, 1993.