Relative dating of fault activity using the principle of cross-cutting relationships: An automated approach

Fault dating plays an essential role in understanding deformation histories and modeling the tectonic evolution of orogenic belts. However, direct fault dating methods via different isotope geochronological techniques are expensive, and their use is often limited in many cases, making it essential to develop a fast and low-cost fault relative dating method. Therefore, on the basis of knowledge graphs and knowledge reasoning technology, this study proposes an automatic method to relatively date periods of fault activity using the principle of cross-cutting relationships between faults and strata. The method mainly involves (1) generating the knowledge graph based on a digital geological map; (2) using the knowledge reasoning algorithm to interpret the cross-cutting relationships amongst faults and generating the temporal sequence of fault activity; (3) relative dating the faults based on the cross-cutting relationships between faults and strata; and (4) according to the temporal sequence of fault activity, the relationship between faults can be revealed, and relative dating can be optimized. Results for cases in western Nevada and Qixia Hill of Nanjing illustrate the effectiveness of this method for interpreting the period of fault activity. The accuracy rates of the recognition results in the two cases were 90.24% and 80.77%, respectively, which means that the proposed method has the potential to relatively date fault activity across large areas. The algorithm is an effective supplement to the existing direct method of fault dating. The algorithm can efficiently infer the development sequence and the age of fault activity based on geological maps and geological cross-sections, which is of great significance for understanding regional tectonic history, evaluating earthquake disasters, and modeling tectonic evolution processes.