overthrust

geology

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July 1, 2026

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In geology, an overthrust refers to a type of thrust fault where a rock mass is pushed over another rock mass. This geological process, known as overthrusting, occurs when horizontal forces cause crustal shortening, commonly seen in mountain-building events like the formation of the Alps or Himalayas.12345

During continental collisions, one continent can be thrust onto another. This process can scrape off layers of sedimentary rock, deforming them into folds and thrust faults. These faults can displace rock slices by tens to over 100 kilometers, leading to significant uplift and the creation of mountain ranges.5

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fault
…large total displacement are called overthrusts or detachments; these are often found in intensely deformed mountain belts. Large thrust faults are characteristic of compressive tectonic plate boundaries, such as those that have created the Himalayas and the subduction zones along the west coast of South America.
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…large total displacement are called overthrusts or detachments; these are often found in intensely deformed mountain belts. Large thrust faults are characteristic of compressive tectonic plate boundaries, such as those that have created the Himalayas and the subduction zones along the west coast of South America.
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tectonic landform
These processes of overthrusting (or underthrusting) and folding result from horizontal forces that cause crustal shortening (in its horizontal dimension) and crustal thickening. Finally, heating and thermal expansion of the outer 100 to 200 kilometres of the Earth can uplift broad areas into either mountain ranges or plateaus.
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These processes of overthrusting (or underthrusting) and folding result from horizontal forces that cause crustal shortening (in its horizontal dimension) and crustal thickening. Finally, heating and thermal expansion of the outer 100 to 200 kilometres of the Earth can uplift broad areas into either mountain ranges or plateaus.
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Alfred Elis Törnebohm
…of his theory of the overthrust of the Caledonian Range (the mountainous region in northwestern Europe extending from the British Isles to western Scandinavia) onto a foreland to the southeast and demonstrated (1896) that the overthrusting applied to the entire mountain range and exceeded 80 miles (130 km). He illustrated…
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…of his theory of the overthrust of the Caledonian Range (the mountainous region in northwestern Europe extending from the British Isles to western Scandinavia) onto a foreland to the southeast and demonstrated (1896) that the overthrusting applied to the entire mountain range and exceeded 80 miles (130 km). He illustrated…
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