Type of fault and drawing
Geology
ScanSolve AI Answer
Answer
A normal fault is a type of dip-slip fault where the hanging wall moves downward relative to the footwall. This movement is caused by tensional forces (pulling apart) in the Earth's crust.
Characteristics:
- Movement: The block of rock above the fault plane (hanging wall) slides down relative to the block below the fault plane (footwall).
- Stress: Formed under tensional stress, where rocks are being stretched or pulled apart.
- Dip: The fault plane typically dips at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees.
- Result: Leads to an extension of the crust, often forming features like rift valleys and horst-and-graben topography.
Drawing Description:
Imagine a vertical slice through the Earth. A normal fault would appear as a diagonal line cutting through the rock layers. On one side of this diagonal line (the hanging wall), the rock layers would be visibly lower than the corresponding layers on the other side (the footwall), indicating a downward slip.
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