Determination of relative strain ellipsoids from sectional measurements of stretching lineation

A novel strain inversion method is developed in this communication to determine relative strain ellipsoid (namely, principal directions and relative magnitudes) from four or more independent measurements of stretching lineation or the longest elliptical axes on planar surfaces. A linear, five-variable equation is obtained to describe such kind of measurements. Equations for these measurements are solved under some auxiliary constraints for the relative strain ellipsoid. This is similar in formulation to stress inversion. We believe the method will provide for structural geologists a simple, useful and more applicable tool for estimating strain in deformed rock where no passive strain marker other than stretching lineation is commonly observed at outcrop. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.