Normal faults play a crucial role in understanding the dynamic processes of the Earth, shaping
landscapes, influencing sedimentary basins’ distribution, energy resources, and impacting
seismic activities. However, much remains to be unravelled, such as the variation of slip rates
over time and changes in a fault’s sealing potential throughout its lifespan. In this thesis, I
investigate the geometric and kinematic variability of normal faults over time and their
implications for fluid flow using age-constrained 3D seismic reflection and wellbore data from
the SW Barents Sea.
First, I constrain the four-dimensional evolution of extensional growth folds using the
stratigraphic record. This reveals that fault-propagation folding can occur in multiple phases,
as a protracted process. Next, I focus on the understudied early stage of normal fault growth,
providing critical observational datasets that contribute to fault growth models. The results
show that there is no universal law that explains normal fault growth. Instead, variability is
observed even within faults in the same basin. Local differences in fault initiation times and
strain distribution not only affect the final dimensions of faults but also impact the fault length
to height aspect ratios. Faults in the early stages of development grow following the constantlength
model, reaching near-final lengths before accumulating significant displacement and
thus exhibiting geometric immaturity.
I investigate the influence of fault geometry and kinematics on fault seal potential. and
explore the capabilities of FWI models in determining the P-wave velocity of fault zones. My
research indicates an influence of fault growth patterns on fault seal potential. My work
demonstrates that fault zones often exhibit variability in their P-wave velocity structure,
reflecting the natural heterogeneity observed in faults studied in outcrops. This contributes
towards improving our understanding of the physical properties of fault zones by combining
seismic reflection and FWI velocity data.