UNIT 4

FAULT AND JOINTS

INTRODUCTION TO FAULT
FAULT-DEFINITION
Fault is always a crack or
surface of rupture or a simple
fracture surface or a zone
having
numerous
closely
spaced fractures that has to be
present in rocks; it may be pre
existing
or
may
develop
instantaneously just before the
movement of the blocks..

a) Three layer of rock under stress

b) Produce fracture and divide into a1 and a2
c) Relative displacement of two block a1 and a2 is
a FAULT

FAULT TERMINOLOGY
Fault Plane: It is the planar surface of fracture
Dip and Hade: Dip is the inclination with the horizontal
& Hade is the angle made with the vertical
The Walls (Hanging walls and footwalls): Hanging wall is
one above and foot wall is the wall below
Fault Zone: Region with definite thickness and distinct
compostion having numerous closely placed parallel
fractures
Shear Zone: Same as fault zone
Slip and separation: PTO

FAULT PLANE

FAULT ZONE

SLIP AND SEPARATION

The slip is defined as a relative displacement of any two points that were
formerly contiguous to each other, as measured along the fault plane
On the basis of direction it is classified as DIP SLIP, STRIKE SLIP & OBLIQUE

SLIP AND SEPARATION

Separation is the distance between
two parts of the faulted bed or
layer of rock which were formerly
in contact with each other as
measured in any given direction
Offset: Normal horizontal
displacement
Throw: Vertical component
Heave: Horizontal component

CLASSIFICATION OF FAULTS
a) The apparent movement of the disrupted blocks along
the fault plane
b) The direction of slip
c) The relation of fault attitude with the attitude of the
displacement bed
d) The amount of dip of the fault
e) Mode of Occurance

a) APPARENT MOVEMENT AS
BASIS
1. Normal Faults
2. Reverse Faults
3. Strike-Slip Faults
4. Hinge Faults

1.NORMAL FAULT

Such a fault in which hanging wall has apparently moved

down with respect to footwall is classified as Normal Fault.

1.NORMAL FAULT (HORST &

GRABEN)

When two normal fault appears on either side of a central wedge shaped
elongated block in such a way that the central wedge raised high up with
respect to the sides, the outstanding structure is called Horst

1.NORMAL FAULT(VERTICAL FAULT)

Fault in which fault plane is vertical

2.REVERSE FAULT

It is such a type of fault in which the hanging wall appears to

have moved up with respect to the footwall. (fault plane
inclined at 45deg)

2.REVERSE FAULT (THRUST AND

Thrust: Process
NAPPE)

of
adjustment of rocks
to
the
imposed
stress
Nappes:
Is
the
translated distanceranging to several
hundred
kilometer,
along
the
thrust
plane

3.STRIKE-SLIP FAULT

Faulted block have been moved against each other in

an essentially horizontal direction.eg: San Andres Fault
of california

4.HINGE FAULTS

These are also called pivoted fault or rotational faults. A

hinge fault is characterized by a movement of the
disrupted block and a medial point called hinge point.

b) ATTITUDE OF FAULT AS BASIS

1. Strike Faults (Parallel to the strike of the strata)
2. Dip Faults (Perpendicular to the strike of the strataP)
3. Oblique Faults (Fault strike makes an oblique angle
with the strike of the rock)

a) STRIKE FAULT b) DIP FAULT c)

OBLIQUE FAULT

c) SLIP AS BASIS
1. Strike-Slip Faults
i. Wrench Faults (continent & oceanic)
ii. Transform Faults (oceanic ridge)
iii. Tear Faults (continents)

2. Dip-Slip Faults
3. Oblique-Slip Faults

1.STRIKE SLIP FAULT

2.DIP SLIP 3.OBLIQUE SLIP

d) MODE OF OCCURANCE AS
BASIS
1. Parallel Faults
(group of fault parallel and equal dip)
2. Enechelon Faults
(group of small sized fault that overlap each other)
3. Peripheral Faults
(faults along the peripheral)
4. Radial Faults
(group of faults that appear emerging outward from a
central region)

1.PARALLEL 2.ENECHELON
3.PERIPHERAL 4.RADIAL