Free tool

Three-point problem calculator: strike and dip from three points

Enter three points on a plane (east, north, elevation) and get its strike and dip, with the textbook construction shown step by step.

Open the three-point problem solver

The method

1. Order the points: highest, intermediate and lowest.
2. Find the point on the line from highest to lowest that has the same elevation as the intermediate point, using the ratio (high − middle) / (high − low).
3. The line joining that point to the intermediate point is a strike line.
4. The dip is the arctangent of the elevation difference divided by the horizontal distance perpendicular to strike.

The calculator shows each of these numbers for your points and can plot the result on the stereonet.