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A numerical model is developed to investigate the facies and stratal patterns associated with fault-bend folding in (non-marine) foreland fold and thrust belts. After identifying the basic predicted stratal and facies geometries for a single fault-bend fold the modelling is extended to situations involving multiple folds, changes in displacement velocity, contemporaneous variations in climate and variations in sediment calibre of source material. We show that the orientation of kink-axes of fault-bend folds is of minor influence on the predicted stratal patterns and that variations in displacement velocity and climate may produce resembling, but still distinct facies patterns. The stratigraphic architecture of facies patterns is very sensitive to vergence and sequence of thrusting and may serve as a guide in interpreting the stratigraphic record associated with multiple fault structures. Applied to two natural examples of fault-bend folds, our modelling narrows down the range of interpretations of these structures.

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