<p>From <a href="https://doi.org/10.1144/SP401.4" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Nahm &amp; Schultz (2013)</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Detailed structural mapping of Rupes Recta has revealed the presence of four distinct fault segments (Fig. 6). Analysis of throw distributions can clarify which segments are mechanically linked and which segments are separated by relay ramps (Peacock &amp; Sanderson 1991).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Later:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Faults grow through this mechanism in three stages (Peacock &amp; Sanderson 1991): isolated faults propagate towards each other and eventually interact when their tips are close and/or overlapping. The fault segments may continue to grow without direct linkage of segments (soft linkage), forming relay ramps, or link by breaching relay ramps and mechanically linking (hard linkage).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and finally:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The growth of segments within a narrow linear zone implies that Rupes Recta formed at depth and propagated up to the lunar surface. As the segments grew towards each other, relay ramps formed at boundaries A–D, visible in imagery (Fig. 6). Displacement continued to accumulate, and relay ramps at B and C were breached, hard-linking the segments together.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Unfortunately, I cannot reproduce their figure 6 here because of copyright, but the four segment boundaries they identified on it, named A, B, C, and D, correspond to the ones you circled, from top to bottom (A and B are both in the top circle). The authors interpret A and D as relay ramps, and B and C as breached relay ramps.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-09T07:03:03.700Z
@JeopardyTempest Good remark, I realize I haven't answered the question properly... I've added a sentence to clarify. Thanks!
Jean-Marie Prival
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-08T12:23:49.067Z
2023-05-09T20:09:28.457Z
2023-05-09T20:09:28.457Z
Jean-Marie Prival
<p>Rupes Recta is a 110km long normal fault on the Lunar nearside. It appears to contain features that resemble terrestrial <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_zone#Interbasin_transfer_zones" rel="nofollow noreferrer">relay ramps</a>. Is this the case or is it something else?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/q2k13.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/q2k13.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

<structural-geology><tectonics><moon>
Relay structures in Rupes Recta
Andykins 
# Relay structures in Rupes Recta

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-05-07)

Rupes Recta is a 110km long normal fault on the Lunar nearside. It appears to contain features that resemble terrestrial [relay ramps](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_zone#Interbasin_transfer_zones). Is this the case or is it something else?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/q2k13.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/q2k13.png)

**Tags:** structural-geology, tectonics, moon


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-05-08. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

From [Nahm & Schultz (2013)](https://doi.org/10.1144/SP401.4):

> Detailed structural mapping of Rupes Recta has revealed the presence of four distinct fault segments (Fig. 6). Analysis of throw distributions can clarify which segments are mechanically linked and which segments are separated by relay ramps (Peacock & Sanderson 1991).

Later:

> Faults grow through this mechanism in three stages (Peacock & Sanderson 1991): isolated faults propagate towards each other and eventually interact when their tips are close and/or overlapping. The fault segments may continue to grow without direct linkage of segments (soft linkage), forming relay ramps, or link by breaching relay ramps and mechanically linking (hard linkage).

and finally:

> The growth of segments within a narrow linear zone implies that Rupes Recta formed at depth and propagated up to the lunar surface. As the segments grew towards each other, relay ramps formed at boundaries A–D, visible in imagery (Fig. 6). Displacement continued to accumulate, and relay ramps at B and C were breached, hard-linking the segments together.

Unfortunately, I cannot reproduce their figure 6 here because of copyright, but the four segment boundaries they identified on it, named A, B, C, and D, correspond to the ones you circled, from top to bottom (A and B are both in the top circle). The authors interpret A and D as relay ramps, and B and C as breached relay ramps.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @JeopardyTempest Good remark, I realize I haven't answered the question properly... I've added a sentence to clarify. Thanks!  

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