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Normal Fault

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Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms

Definition

Inclined, primarily high-angle dip-slip fault where the hanging wall has moved down relative to footwall, driven by crustal extension resulting from stresses in which blocks of rock are pulled apart. The maximum compressive stress, σ 1, is vertical; the minimum compressive stress, σ 2, is horizontal and parallel to the fault strike; and the intermediate compressive stress, σ 3, is oriented perpendicular to the fault strike (Fig. 1). Younger rocks are superposed over older rocks.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Block diagram showing an emergent normal fault, with the orientation of the principle stresses, σ 1, σ 2, and σ 3, noted. The hanging wall (right) moves down relative to the footwall (left) (Modified after Fossen 2010).

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA

    Amanda L. Nahm

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  1. Amanda L. Nahm
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Correspondence to Amanda L. Nahm .

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Nahm, A.L. (2014). Normal Fault. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_519-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_519-1

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