The World Stress Map database release 2016 can be downloaded here as (a) a file with comma separated fields (b) an Excel spreadsheet and (c) and a Google Earth zip-compressed file. The database is public and thus the download and usage is free of charge. Details on the database structure and the individual fields are explained in the WSM Technical Report 16-01. When you use the WSM database release 2016 please cite it as:

• Heidbach, O., M. Rajabi, X. Cui, K. Fuchs, B. Müller, J. Reinecker, K. Reiter, M. Tingay, F. Wenzel, F. Xie, M. O. Ziegler, M.-L. Zoback, and M. D. Zoback (2018): The World Stress Map database release 2016: Crustal stress pattern across scales. Tectonophysics, 744, 484-498, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2018.07.007  (download PDF)
• Heidbach, O., M. Rajabi, K. Reiter, M.O. Ziegler, and the WSM Team (2016): World Stress Map Database Release 2016. GFZ Data Services,doi:10.5880/WSM.2016.001

Stress Maps Based on the WSM Database

We also provide stress maps from individual countries or areas of key interest. These maps are edited with individual partners and institutions. The links will lead you to the landing page where you can download the map and receive further information. So far we have stress map for:

• World Stress Map 2016
• Stress Map of the Mediterranean and Central Europe 2016
• Stress Map Germany 2016
• Stress Map Iceland 2016
• Stress Map Taiwan 2022
• Stress Map Great Britain and Ireland 2022

Note that pdf-files have layers that can be turned off/on. E.g. you can display different data qualities or other features related to the display of the stress map. The stress maps are provided in printing quality for a format that is close to A0. If you need a stress map for your region of interest you can use our web-service CASMO - Create A Stress Map Online. Here you can select your area, data type and quality and add your own data and plot a high quality ready-to-print stress map.

Smoothed Global Stress Maps 2016

We also offer data sets of a smoothed global stress maps that display the mean S_Hmax orientaiton on a regular grid of 5°, 2°, 1° and 0.5° (download here). We provide data sets based on two different methods: The first estimates the mean S_Hmax orientation using a fixed search radius of 500 km and thus provides long-wave length filtered stress pattern. The second uses various search radii starting with a search radius of 1000 km and decreasing it to 100 km in steps of 100 km to determine for each the mean S_Hmax orientation. The data set contains the mean S_Hmax orientation and the search radius for which the standard deviation is below 25°. Thus this gridded stress pattern file shows a reliable S_Hmax orientation within ±25° and the wave-length of the stress pattern expressed in the complementary search radius. Details are given in Heidbach et al. (2018) (download pdf), or download the tool stress2grid and its manual (download pdf) to generate own mean S_Hmax estimates.