Science

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

LESSON 8.1
Faults
Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Learning Competency 2

Learning Objectives 2

Warm-Up 2

Learn about It 4
Parts of a Fault 5
Fault Line 5
Hanging Wall Block 6
Footwall Block 6
Different Types of Faults 6
Dip-slip Fault 6
Strike-slip Fault 7
Oblique Fault 8

Key Points 10

Check Your Understanding 10

Photo Credits 11

Bibliography 12
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

Lesson 8.1
Faults

The aftermath of an earthquake

Introduction
Have you ever experienced an earthquake before? If so, then you would know how
frightening it is to feel the ground shake beneath your feet. This is even more so if the
earthquake is particularly strong. Earthquakes are related to faults, which are breaks on
earth’s surface due to displacement of rock layers. However, not all fractures are considered
as fault. Have you ever wondered, what are the characteristics, parts, and types of
fault?

1
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

Learning Competency
At the end of this lesson, the given DepEd learning competency should be met
by the students.
Using models or illustrations, explain how movements along faults generate
earthquakes (S8ES-IIa-14).

Learning Objectives
In this lesson, you should be able to do the following:
● Describe faults.
● Determine the different types of faults.

Warm-Up

It’s My Fault

Materials
● shoe box
● scissors
● cardboard
● crepe paper

Procedure
1. Cut the box into two.
2. Cover the open area with cardboard. Use tape to secure the parts of the box
3. Place the boxes side by side and place the crepe paper on top of the boxes and this

2
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

represents a single block of rock.

4. Tape the crepe paper to the sides of the box. Refer to the given figure.

Sample setup for this activity

5. Push one box forward and the other box backward.

6. Observe the changes in the appearance of the crepe paper.
7. Repeat steps 1–6 but this time move one block downward. Then, observe what
happens to the crepe paper.

Guide Questions
1. What happens to the crepe paper as you move the box?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. In the set-up, which refers to the fault in the rocks?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How are faults formed?

3
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Learn about It

Faults are breaks in Earth’s outer layer where slip or displacement occurred. Most people
associate the term with breaks on the ground. How do faults form?

Earth’s crust is broken up into large plates of land like a jigsaw puzzle. The plates sit on top
of the next layer which is the mantle. These large plates of rocks are called tectonic plates.

Fig. 1. Earth is divided into several tectonic plates.

4
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

Essential Questions
● How can you describe a fault?
● What are the different parts and types of faults?

The boundaries of tectonic plates are the areas where most faults are found. The upper part
of the mantle is partly molten and is described as a “plastic” layer which is known as the
asthenosphere. This plastic layer allows the movement of the overriding plates at relatively
slow rates. The movements of these plates create different types of faults. However, not all
faults are found along the boundaries of tectonic plates as some may be found within
continents.

Parts of a Fault
A fault is classified according to the movements of the rock masses they cut through. To
understand the different types of faults, it is important to know the different parts of a fault.

Fault Line
The fault line is the trace of the fault. It is the
most visible part of the fault. However, as the
fault cuts through the layers of the soil, some
parts may not be readily identified unless one
cuts across the layers of the soil. The dip is the
angle that the fault cuts through the soil layers,
usually in reference to the horizontal axis.

Faults cut through rocks forming two blocks.

These blocks may be classified as either the
hanging or the footwall.

5
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

Hanging Wall Block

The hanging wall is the part of the fault that is leaning on the footwall. It is the portion
immediately above the fault.

Footwall Block
The footwall is the portion that is being leaned on and is the surface below the fault. It has
a relatively wider base as compared to the hanging wall. The arrangement of these parts
varies with the movement of the ground during an earthquake.

Different Types of Faults

Faults can be classified as dip-slip or strike-slip. Dip-slip faults are further classified as
normal or reverse.

Dip-slip Fault
A dip-slip fault refers to faults where movement of blocks is parallel to the dip of the fault
surface. Imagine dip-slip faults as inclined fractures where blocks move vertically upward or
downward. If the block above the fault line moves down, the fault is termed normal. In
contrast, if the block above the fault moves up, it is called reverse.

Fig. 3. Types of dip-slip faults. Normal fault is when the hanging wall moves down while the
reverse and thrust fault is when the hanging wall moves up.

6
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

A normal fault is formed by tensional stresses that pull rocks apart. Tensional stress
lengthens the crust and results in stretching and breaking of rocks. In normal faults, the
hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall. Divergent boundaries or areas where
tectonic plates move apart host many normal faults.

In situations where multiple normal faults are present, alternating uplifted and down-
dropped blocks may form. The uplifted or raised areas are called horsts while the
down-dropped or lowered ones are referred to as grabens. Grabens serve as basins where
sediments from eroded horsts are deposited.

Fig. 4. Horsts and grabens

A reverse fault is another type of dip-slip fault. Unlike normal faults, reverse faults result
from compressional forces associated with convergent plate boundaries where plates move
towards each other. In a reverse fault, the hanging wall moves upward relative to the
footwall. A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault whose dip is less than 45 degrees.

Strike-slip Fault
A strike-slip fault or transcurrent fault is a result of the sideways movement of blocks of
rocks. In a strike-slip fault, neither hanging wall or footwall are moving up or down. Rather,
the blocks move laterally in opposite directions.

7
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

right-lateral strike-slip fault left-lateral strike-slip fault

Fig. 5. Strike-slip fault

Strike-slip faults can be further classified as left lateral or right lateral strike-slip faults
depending on which direction the blocks move relative to a certain reference block.
Transform plate boundaries or boundaries where two plates slide past another host many
strike-slip faults. A strike-slip fault can offset the flow of streams present in a given area.
This is shown by the figure 5.

Oblique Fault
Oblique fault has both the dip-slip and strike-slip components. It can be formed by the
combination of shear stress, and tensional or compressional stress.

Fig. 6. Oblique fault

8
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

Tip
Remember that a break along rocks or rock layers must have experienced
slippage or displacement for it to be classified as a fault. If there is no
displacement present in the rocks, the break is termed as a fracture.

The different types of faults may be observed either on a large scale such as visual
reconstructions of plates and their boundaries or on a smaller scale such as in layers of
sedimentary rocks.

Normal fault on the coast of A reverse fault in the Grands Causses

Somerset, England in Bédarieux, France.

The San Andreas fault is a strike-slip fault.

Fig, 7. Different types of fault and the places where they can be found.

Figure 7 above shows examples of different types of fault. In the normal fault on the coast of
Somerset, England, the strata of the red rock at the right is deformed as it moves upwards.

9
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

On the other hand, in the reverse fault on the Grands Causses in Bédarieux, France, the
right side moves down while the left side moves up. Lastly, the San Andreas Fault is a
strike-slip fault formed by the sideway motion of Pacific and North American Plates.

Key Points

● Faults are breaks in rocks where slippage has occurred.

● Faults are composed of a fault line, dip, and blocks which can either be a footwall
or hanging wall.
● Faults can be classified as dip-slip fault, strike-slip fault, and oblique fault.
○ Dip-slip fault has movement parallel to the dip in which the hanging wall can
move either upward or downward. This can be categorized as normal and
reverse fault.
○ Strike-slip fault has the sideway movement of blocks. It can either be
left-lateral or right-lateral.
○ Oblique fault has both dip-slip and strike-slip components.

Check Your Understanding

A. Write true if the statement is correct while write false if the statement is incorrect.
1. The fault is the general term used to describe a break in rock layers.
2. Tectonic plates are slabs of crust in which its movement forms faults.
3. When the hanging wall moves upward relative to the footwall, then
compressional stress is formed between the fault blocks.
4. Faults only occur along plate boundaries.
5. The angle where the fault cuts the rock layers is called the dip.
6. The reverse dip-slip fault usually forms when plates move away from one
another.

10
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

7. Graben is the downward block in a series of a normal fault.

8. A thrust fault is a special kind of normal fault where the dip angle is 45 degrees.
9. The San Andreas Fault is formed when plates move past each other.
10. The perpendicular movement of the fault block along the fault line forms a
dip-slip fault.

B. Determine the term(s) described in each question.

1. What is the angle of the dip so that a fault could be classified as a thrust fault?
2. What kind of fault is produced at the convergent boundary?
3. What type of fault is formed due to horizontal and vertical movement of blocks
of rocks?
4. What is the basis in the classification of faults?
5. What type of stress causes the formation of a strike-slip fault?
6. What type of movement happens in a dip-slip fault?
7. What type of break happens if there is no displacement of rocks?
8. What component of a multiple normal fault can serve as basins for erosion?
9. What part of a fault is found directly below the fault itself?
10. What part of a fault is found directly above the fault itself?

Photo Credits
Fig. 7. The Blue Anchor Fault by Ashley Dace is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution
Share-alike license 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons; Faille des Causses depuis Bedarieux by
Xhienne is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5
Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license via Wikimedia Commons.

11
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

Bibliography

Dutch, Steven. 2010. “Faults and Earthquakes.” University of Wisconsin Greenbay. Accessed
June 29, 2017.
http://www.glyfac.buffalo.edu/mib/course/Figures/UWGBDutch/EarthSC202Notes/qua
kes.htm

ESA21: Environmental Science Activities for the 21st Century. n.d. “Plate Tectonics:
Earthquake Epicenter.” Accessed June 29, 2017.
http://esa21.kennesaw.edu/activities/epicenter/epicenter.pdf

Lyell, Charles. 2005. Principles of Geology. Reprinted. Penguin UK.

Lagmay, A. M. F., Eco, R., and Ybanez, R. 2013. “Magnitude 7.2 temblor rocks Bohol,
Philippines (Initial assessment).” Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards.
Accessed July 7, 2017.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6958/60b6bd2e68c29177910284d226b3ed38ba7d.pd
f

Michigan Technological Society. 2007. “What Should I Do Before, During, And After An
Earthquake?” Accessed July 7, 2017. http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/bda.html

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. 2008. PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity

Scale (PEIS). Accessed July 7, 2017.
https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/earthquake/earthquake-intensity-scale

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. 2008. About PHIVOLCS. Accessed July 7,
2017. https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/about-us/about-phivolcs

Sabornido, S. 2015. “Top 10 Strongest Earthquake to Hit the Philippines.” Accessed June 13,

12
 Science
●

Grade 8 • Unit 8: Earthquakes and Faults

2018. https://faq.ph/top-10-strongest-earthquakes-to-hit-the-philippines/

The Associated Press. 2016. “The World’s Deadliest Earthquake Since 2000.” Accessed June
13, 2018.
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/the-worlds-deadliest-earthquakes-since-2
000/

Tarbuck, Edward J. and Frederick J. Lutgens. 2015. Earth Science. New Jersey: Pearson
Prentice Hall.

UPSeis. 2007. “What should I do Before, During, and After an Earthquake. Accessed June 30,
2017. http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/bda.html.

United States Geological Services. Sept 20, 2009. USGS: Science for a changing world.
Accessed June 29, 2017.
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science-earthquakes.

United States Geological Services. “Earthquake Glossary - dip slip.” Accessed July 7, 2017.
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/glossary/?term=dip%20slip.

13