Published September 16, 2025
| Version 1.0
Software
Open
FoldApp: MATLAB Application for Automated Area–Depth–Strain Analysis of Detachment Folds
Authors/Creators
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1.
Centre for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada
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2.
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
Description
FoldApp is an interactive MATLAB application developed in App Designer to perform Area-Depth-Strain (ADS) analysis, a mass-balance method commonly used in structural geology to quantify shortening and deformation in fold-and-thrust systems.
The software guides users through the ADS workflow in three modules:
- Import seismic horizons from structural interpretations.
- Define pinning lines in adjacent synclines.
- Compute ADS models by relating folded area to stratigraphic thickness.
Key features include:
- Automatic estimation of shortening, strain, and detachment depth with quantified uncertainties.
- Tools to test the sensitivity of seismic interpretations to noise.
- Correction modules for tectonic compaction and pure shear bed thickening, often neglected in standard restorations.
- Export functionality for reproducible results and reporting.
FoldApp has been tested on detachment folds of the Mexican Ridges Fold Belt (Gulf of Mexico), producing robust estimates of tectonic transport, including the effect of compaction on shortening.
This app provides a reliable and accessible platform for structural geologists, bridging the gap between traditional interpretation workflows and quantitative deformation analysis.
Files
fold_20lyrs.txt
Additional details
Software
- Programming language
- MATLAB