Shear band zones (Figures 1 and 2) are composed of a number of closely-spaced, sub-parallel distinct individual bands. Incipient band zones include a few bands formed next to each other. Well-developed zones (Figure 2) are generally more complex and may also include bands at different orientation than that of the main set. Well-developed shear band zones are almost always associated with slip surfaces that accommodate a large part of total slip and mark the appearance of sharp discontinuities along but usually on one side of a zone of many shear bands.

Figure 1. A shear band zone with about 4 m normal slip. Part of the scale bar above the sand is 75 cm. Goblin Valley, San Rafael Desert, UT. From Aydin and Johnson (1978).

Figure 2. The Moab Fault at the Courthouse Canyon (view to W). The Slickrock (reddish) and Moab members of the Entrada Sandstone are offset by on the order of 100 m. The inset shows the shear bands concentration across the fault zone. Inset from Davatzes et al (2003).

Shear band zones are typically more resistant to weathering thus forming spectacular fin-shaped geomorphic features in the field. Please see the reference Aydin and Johnson (1978) and Davatzes et al. (2003). Please also see the sections, 'Growth of Faults based on Shear Banding,' 'Geostatistical Properties of Shear Bands,' and 'Petrophysical Properties of Shear Bands.'