Interpreting Folds

• Determine if center rocks are older or

younger than flanks: fossils, right side up
clues (graded bedding and mudcracks) i.e.
check the younging direction
• Are limbs parallel or “Nosed”? (axis
plunging direction disappearing or
pronounced)
• Determine limb dips from measurements,
stream V’s. Strike and Dip
• Use nose rules for anticlines and synclines
 Fractures

Fractures
- Joints: fractures with no relative
movement
- Faults: fractures with relative
movement
Joints: Fractures – with no movement

Source: Martin G. Miller/Visuals Unlimited

 Strike and Dip

Map Symbols: Strike shown as long line, dip

as short line. Note the angle of dip shown: 45o

Strike intersection w horizontal, dip perpendicular, angle from horizontal down toward surface
 Fault Type 1 - Dip-slip faults

1) Terms: Hanging wall and footwall

2) Normal faults
(a) Grabens
(b) Horsts
3) Reverse faults
a) low angle called Thrust faults
4) Oblique-slip faults
Normal Fault: Hanging Wall Down

Foot wall under the

Hanging wall overhangs fault plane
the fault plane

Key
Source: John S. Shelton

Bed Especially common in divergent margins

Normal Fault
(Hanging Wall
down)
 Reverse Fault Typical of convergent
margins
(called “Thrust Fault” if shallow angle)
Structural Geology is taught by Dr. Krall (Hanging wall Up)
What phase of magma fractionation would result in the This
Younger
placement of this ore body?
Which formed first, the ore body or the fault?
guy is
rich
What common mineral is mostly likely in the ore body?

Miners pay geologists to

find their lost orebody
One friend earned
enough to buy a house

This poor guy is out of luck

 Evidence of faults

a) Visible displacement of rocks

b) Pulverized rock and “Slickensides”
c) Key beds cut out by faulting reappear
elsewhere.
Fracture Zones and Slickensides
 Types of Faults - 2

• Strike-slip faults 1
1) Example: San Andreas Transform fault
2) Distinctive landforms evidences (linear
valleys, chains of lakes, sag ponds,
topographic saddles)
3) Fresh pulverized rock. Transform fault
through granite: Arkose sandstone
4) Evidence of Shear stress