3DStress - Stress Tensor

Slip tendency is the ratio of the shear stress to the normal stress on a fault or fracture surface:

Slip tendency = (τ)/(σ_n)

Slip tendency analysis yields useful insights into the nature of the stress tensor and its effects on which fault surfaces may become reactivated and in which direction a fault will slip.

The relative magnitude of the intermediate principal stress can strongly affect the flow of fluid through a fracture system. This image illustrates a fourfold increase of fracture network participation in fluid flow from a stress state with σ₂ halfway between σ₁ and σ₃ (lower) and one where σ₂ ≈ σ₁ (upper).