Denudation thickness restoration plays a critical role in structural geology and petroleum exploration, as the intensity of stratal removal governs the geometric morphology of residual fault surfaces in arcuate normal faults. When a faulting criterion that defines fault surface geometry is known, denudation thickness can be quantified from preserved fault segments. Guided by the parabolic Mohr envelope theory, this study derives an algebraic relationship between fault surface dip angle and depth, and establishes a quantitative formula for denudation thickness based on residual fault geometry. The method is applied to the unconformity between the Cenozoic and the underlying strata of the Jiyang Depression. Firstly, an analytical expression for fault surface morphology is developed using experimentally determined rock mechanical parameters. The model is then validated using two well-defined points on the residual fault surface. Finally, the denudation thickness associated with the unconformity is calculated. The derived dip-depth relationship not only provides a theoretical explanation for the formation of arcuate normal faults but also offers a novel geometric approach for quantifying denudation.
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