A strike-slip fault has little or no vertical movements.
Vertical and horizontal
fault block
Strike-slip faults have little vertical motion.
When a fault is not vertical, a hanging wall and footwall are formed. The hanging wall is the block of rock above the fault plane, while the footwall is the block of rock below the fault plane. These terms help geologists describe the displacement and movement along the fault.
A strike-slip fault involves a sideways motion where two blocks of the Earth's crust slide past each other horizontally. This type of fault is typically associated with transform plate boundaries. The movement is primarily lateral, with little to no vertical displacement. An example of a strike-slip fault is the San Andreas Fault in California.
GPS and interferometric synthetic aperture radar monitor both vertical and horizontal movements along the fault.
A seismometer, which is a device that measures ground movements, can detect both vertical and horizontal movements along a fault. These instruments are crucial for monitoring seismic activity and predicting potential earthquakes.
A geodetic instrument called an extensometer or tiltmeter is used to measure tiny vertical or horizontal movements of markers set up on opposite sides of a fault. These instruments can detect even small changes in the Earth's crust, helping to monitor potential fault movements and seismic activity.
Strike-slip faults have little vertical motion.
vertical movements
Vertical and horizontal
fault block
fault block
a reverse fault
a reverse fault
Block mountains form from vertical fault movements when two tectonic plates move against each other, causing one section of rock to be pushed upward while another is pushed downward along a fault line. This results in steep, rugged mountain ranges with distinct uplifted blocks of rock. Examples include the Sierra Nevada in California and the Tetons in Wyoming.
reverse fault, strike slip fault, and normal fault