hanging wall

geology

Also known as: headwall

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Last updated

June 29, 2026

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In geology, the hanging wall refers to the upper or overhanging wall of an inclined vein, fault, or other geologic structure. It is the block of rock that lies above an inclined fault plane. This is in contrast to the footwall, which is the block of rock below the fault plane. The hanging wall is also referred to as the hanging side. When rocks slip past each other along a fault, the hanging wall moves relative to the footwall. In normal dip-slip faults, the hanging wall slides down relative to the footwall, often occurring as Earth's crust lengthens.123

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glacial landform
Cirques, tarns, U-shaped valleys, arêtes, and horns
…an arcuate cliff called the headwall. In an ideal cirque, the headwall is semicircular in plan view. This situation, however, is generally found only in cirques cut into flat plateaus. More common are headwalls angular in map view due to irregularities in height along their perimeter. The bottom of many…
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…an arcuate cliff called the headwall. In an ideal cirque, the headwall is semicircular in plan view. This situation, however, is generally found only in cirques cut into flat plateaus. More common are headwalls angular in map view due to irregularities in height along their perimeter. The bottom of many…
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mining
Delineation
…ore body is called the hanging wall, and rock located below the ore body is called the footwall.
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…ore body is called the hanging wall, and rock located below the ore body is called the footwall.
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fault
…fault plane is called the hanging wall, or headwall; the block below is called the footwall. The fault strike is the direction of the line of intersection between the fault plane and Earth’s surface. The dip of a fault plane is its angle of inclination measured from the horizontal.
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…fault plane is called the hanging wall, or headwall; the block below is called the footwall. The fault strike is the direction of the line of intersection between the fault plane and Earth’s surface. The dip of a fault plane is its angle of inclination measured from the horizontal.
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