326 - S TRUCTURAL G EOLOGY

MORE ON F AULTS

Faults can be recognized by three basic criteria:

Features of faults themselves

• fault rocks (see chart in text)
• slickensides etc.

Effects on stratigraphic units

• break in continuous stratigraphic section; truncation of structures
• (don’t confuse faults w/ unconformities--upper units usually parallel to contact)
• horses (fault slices) = blocks surrounded on all sides by faults--usually displaced a
large distance from original position
• repetition of strata
• omission of strata
• drag folds (also reverse drag)

Effects on topography or geomorphology

• scarps
• offset ridges, valleys, streams
• springs, sag ponds
• nickpoints in streams

More terms
cutoff line = intersection of displaced bed w/ fault plane
hangingwall cutoff, footwall cutoff
fault ramps = connect segments of faults
frontal ramp, lateral ramp (sidewall ramp)
jog, bend (strike-slip faults)
fault duplex = multiple ramps that produce imbricate slices (or horses)

(see additional list of terms under “Activities” section of syllabus)