Dedication‌

This book is dedicated to the memory of Atilla Aydin (August 4, 1944, to February 8, 2022). Dr. Aydin was a field geologist in the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth). He had a preternatural ability to “read” rock formations and understand geomechanics in ways that few others could. He was born and raised in Turkey and came to Stanford University in the United States for his Master and Doctorate degrees in geology under Professor Arvid Johnson in 1974 and 1978, respectively. After earning his Doctorate, he returned to Turkey to teach as an assistant professor of geology at Istanbul Technical University, which he did from 1978 to 1980. Due to the tenuous political climate in Turkey at the time, however, Aydin eventually sought to leave his homeland. He joined the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel as a visiting scientist in 1980, then returned to Stanford for a post-doctoral fellowship from 1980 to 1981.

Aydin carved out a niche for himself co-managing with David Pollard the Stanford Rock Fracture Project industry affiliates program, through which corporate partners supported their students and research in matters of structural geology. He returned to Stanford in 1991 as an associate professor (research), was promoted in 1997 to full professor (research), and retired in 2015. The following excerpts are provided by Atilla’s co-authors in honor of his memory.

Ramil Ahmadov:

Atilla introduced me to the world of field-based structural geology. Some of the most memorable moments I have experienced at Stanford University were with Atilla, either in the field chasing faults and fractures, or in restaurants sharing a glass of wine and discussing the world’s “problems.” Rest in peace, Hocam!

Marco Antonellini:

This book probably represents the last contribution of Atilla to geological knowledge in an effort to share his expertise with everybody. I think it is the generous side of his personality. We all have known him for his great field insights, sound scientific work and great companionship. We will miss arguing with him on the outcrops and chatting around a good meal. Goodbye, Atilla. We will never forget you.

Antonino Cilona:

Having studied deformation bands during my Doctorate, I have always looked up to Atilla, and working with him was an honor. He made me a better geologist and taught me the importance of keeping emotions separated from work. He was excited to write a book together with many of his former students. Basically, it was like closing the loop. Unfortunately, he could not see it published, but I am sure he would have been proud of it. Grazie, Atilla. Rest in peace!

Shang Deng:

I am greatly indebted to Atilla, who initiated some of the basic ideas leading to the present work. I also owe my deepest gratitude to his encouragement and support for my research and career development.

Eric Flodin:

I have many fond, but not always comfortable, memories of working with Atilla as a graduate student. Fond, comfortable memories are when we agreed on field observations and hypotheses or shared a meal and talked about family. Fond, uncomfortable memories are when we disagreed on field observations and hypotheses or debated the focus and direction of my dissertation work. I am grateful for the sum of my interactions with Atilla, which shaped me for the better, both personally and professionally. Rest in peace, Atilla. Your presence is greatly missed by your family, friends and professional colleagues.

Ghislain de Joussineau:

Atilla was a passionate and incredibly talented geologist. I was lucky to work with him and learned a lot from him. Among all his qualities, I admired his strength of will. Atilla would never give up on an idea or a project. He also never compromised quality in everything he did, whatever it took. He taught us, his students, to always engage in our activities with the highest level of implication and rigor. I took his teaching home and still use it every day. I also remember a highly educated man who was deeply interested in foreign cultures. This was reflected in the varied origin of his students. Merci, Atilla. We all miss you!

Beth Parker:

I met Atilla in 2015 through a collaborative project where our interests were characterizing the hydraulically active fracture network in a marine turbidite sandstone in a tectonically active area in Southern California. The breadth and depth of insights brought to the project by Atilla and his post-doctoral fellow Dr. Antonino Cilona created an important structural framework based on field mapping of the multi-scaled fault and fracture network for advancing the hydrogeologic conceptual model for groundwater flow and solute transport. He strongly believed in the value of field observations to inform the structural evolution and fault hierarchies across multiple scales. Knowing that future science would build on existing knowledge, he compiled the insights he gained through his life and career in the Rock Fracture Knowledgebase, a digital encyclopedia on rock fractures and faults, for the benefit of future generations. Our discussions about the project, people and cultures were enlightening and entertaining, and his enthusiastic pursuit of scientific insights was remarkable.

Jian Zhong:

Atilla started on this book in July 2019 and continued working on it until March 2021, just before he returned to Istanbul. The book accompanied Atilla through most of the COVID period, when he was no longer able to go to his office or go to swim. Atilla set up new printers and scanners at his home to help him work on the manuscripts. Even though it felt never-ending at the time, working on the Groundwater Project provided a motivation to Atilla during a very difficult time and gave me chances to visit him, which I treasure much today.