Hanging Wall And Footwall Normal Fault

Normal faults occur in areas undergoing extension stretching.

Hanging wall and footwall normal fault.

A normal fault occurs when the hanging wall moves relative to the footwall. This type of fault is referred to as a fault. An upthrown block between two normal faults dipping away from each other is a horst. When the fault plane is vertical there is no hanging wall or footwall.

Reverse faults occur in areas undergoing compression squishing. With compressional forces the hanging wall moves upward relative to the footwall. If the hanging wall rises relative to the footwall you have a reverse fault. A type of fault in which the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall and the fault surface dips steeply commonly from 50 o to 90 o groups of normal faults can produce horst and graben topography or a series of relatively high and low standing fault blocks as seen in areas where the crust is rifting or being pulled apart by plate tectonic activity.

Two parallel normal faults form. They bound many of the mountain ranges of the world and many of the rift valleys found along spreading margins. The hanging wall slides down relative to the footwall. Normal faults are common.

A downthrown block between two normal faults dipping towards each other is a graben. Which fault will see the hanging wall move down relative to the footwall. Are exactly the opposite of normal faults. Its strike and its dip.

Low angle normal faults with regional tectonic significance may be designated detachment faults. The hanging wall on the left slides down relative to the footwall. The hanging wall on the right slides down relative to the footwall. Other articles where normal fault is discussed.

Any fault plane can be completely described with two measurements. If the hanging wall drops relative to the footwall you have a normal fault. Normal dip slip faults are produced by vertical compression as earth s crust lengthens. Where the fault plane is sloping as with normal and reverse faults the upper side is the hanging wall and the lower side is the footwall.

In a normal fault the hanging wall moves downward relative to the footwall. If you imagine undoing the motion of a normal fault you will undo the stretching and thus shorten the horizontal distance between two points on either side of the fault. What is a reverse fault.