The Swabian-Franconian fault pattern

Between Black Forest and Bavarian Forest (Southern Germany), the Swabian-Franconian Lineament and the Neckar-Jagst Lineament as its northern counterpart inclusive transverse fault zones represent a conjugate system, which has been analysed under the special aspect of strike-slip faults. Six fault set directions have been identified. They show both dextral and sinistral shear sense suggesting later inversion. Parquet fields of conjugate shear sets in various combinations, confluence structures and literature data reveal six fault systems. Among them and characterised by its two lineaments and transversal fault zones, the ENE/SE fault system is the most dominating and oldest system. Confluence structures newly added to the inventory of conjugate shear systems are represented at nearly all connection and crossing sites of that fault system with most of their evolutionary stages. They are easily recognised by their specific curvature enabling identifi cation of a conjugate relation of two shear zones including their temporal connection as well as recognition of their shear sense. Furthermore, they mark sites only insignificantly prestamped by earlier faulting processes. The Swabian-Franconian fault pattern has not essentially been modified by fault tectonic replenishment or overprinting during later stress regimes, but the structural data allow a new outline of its structural evolution.