Approximation of a realistic, curved fault with a kinked fault interface. The kinked fault (fault-F, thick gray line) is derived from the two end-member planar faults: fault-s (dotted line) representing a planar fault identical to the upper segment of the kink, and having the same locking extent of the entire kinked fault; and fault-d (dashed line) representing a planar fault identical to the lower segment of the kink and having thesame locking depth. Fault-m represents a fault having the same end-points for its locked patch as fault-F, but with a slope equal to the mean for the two kink segments. Panels shown represent fault cross-sections (top), and velocity profiles — vertical (middle), horizontal (bottom). (a) Curved fault (thick gray line, fault-F) with locking depth, D_lock; and its kinked fault approximations (thick gray lines, fault-F) with the kink located at a depth of: (b) 0.5 D_lock, (c) 0.75 D_lock, and(d) D_lock. Axes are as described in the text.