thrust fault

geology

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July 14, 2026

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A thrust fault is a type of geological fault where the angle between the horizontal and the fault plane is small. It is also known as an overthrust fault.1

In geology, a fault is a fracture in the Earth's crust where rocks on opposite sides move relative to each other due to compressional or tensional forces. Thrust faults specifically result from horizontal compressional forces that shorten the Earth's crust. In this type of fault, the hanging wall (the block above the fault plane) moves up and over the footwall (the block below the fault plane). Thrust faults are a type of reverse fault with a dip less than 45 degrees and are commonly found in intensely deformed mountain ranges.2

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Precambrian
Structure and formation of greenstone-granite belts
…are upside-down and deformed by thrusts and major horizontal folds (nappes). They have been subsequently refolded by upright anticlines (convex folds of rock) and synclines. The result of this thrusting is the repetition of the same stratigraphic successions on top of one another, creating a massive deposit of material up…
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…are upside-down and deformed by thrusts and major horizontal folds (nappes). They have been subsequently refolded by upright anticlines (convex folds of rock) and synclines. The result of this thrusting is the repetition of the same stratigraphic successions on top of one another, creating a massive deposit of material up…
Read More

dating
Determination of sequence
…belts is the presence of thrust faults. Such faults, which are common in compression zones along continental edges, may follow bedding planes and then cross the strata at a steep angle, placing older units on top of younger ones. In certain places, the fault planes are only a few centimetres…
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…belts is the presence of thrust faults. Such faults, which are common in compression zones along continental edges, may follow bedding planes and then cross the strata at a steep angle, placing older units on top of younger ones. In certain places, the fault planes are only a few centimetres…
Read More