fault: Quick Facts

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Photos

fault in a sandstone deposit

Diagram showing three types of faulting related to earthquakes: normal faulting, reverse faulting, and strike-slip faulting, with labeled blocks, fault lines, and movement directions.

San Andreas Fault

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Topics

plunge dip pitch trend footwall extension fault thrust fault hanging wall fault gouge shear zone volcano cave tectonic basins and rift valleys Meteorite crater continental shelf karst fold joint geyser caldera

Key People

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J. Tuzo Wilson

Canadian geologist

Cross section of Earth showing the core, mantle, and crust

The Solid Earth Quiz