Upper crustal strength fundamentally governs the architectural evolution of continental rifts, yet a global framework linking rheology to fault geometry remains elusive. Here, we address this gap through discrete element modeling and statistical analysis of 261 basins. We employ five laterally homogeneous crustal models to isolate the effects of crustal strength under extension. Strain and structural orientation analyses reveal that mechanical strength dictates fault-style bifurcation: weak crusts dissipate strain through low-angle listric faults, whereas strong crusts localize strain along high-angle planar faults. This transition is corroborated by global P-wave velocity trends, distinguishing strong intra-continental zones from weak continental-oceanic transition zones. Remarkably, these mechanical principles provide a preliminary predictive framework for resource accumulation. We find that planar-fault-dominated basins in intra-continental crust host 73% of global hydrocarbon resources due to enhanced potential trap integrity. Thus, upper crustal strength acts as the first-order control linking tectonic processes to the economic potential of extensional basins. Crustal strength governs the shift from listric to planar normal faults in extensional basins, helping explain patterns in the global hydrocarbon distribution, according to three-dimensional discrete element modeling and statistical analysis of 261 basins worldwide.
An et al. (Thu,) studied this question.