Curvature and Fracturing Based on GPS Data Collected at Sheep Mountain Anticline, WY

Bedding curvature has often been used to predict areas of increased fracture intensity. We investigate this curvature-fracture relationship at Sheep Mountain Anticline, WY, USA, by coupling fracture mapping with structural mapping using high precision GPS. Comparison of principal curvature magnitudes with fracture measurements indicates that greater curvature correlates with greater dispersion of fracture orientations. Fracture intensities, however, do not correlate with curvature.