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Questions and Answers
What is a fault?
How many major tectonic plates are there on Earth?
What causes the slow, constant motion of tectonic plates?
What is the place where two tectonic plates come together and meet called?
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On one side of a fault, there is a block of rock known as:
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What moves above or below the footwall depending on the type of fault?
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How do scientists classify faults?
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What causes a normal fault to form?
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What type of stress causes a reverse fault to form?
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Along which type of boundary do normal faults typically form?
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What is the movement like in a strike-slip fault?
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Which type of fault results from shear stress?
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What type of fault results from tension stress?
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What is the block of rock below the hanging wall known as in a fault?
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Which type of fault is characterized by horizontal movement along the fault line?
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What term describes the large slabs of rock in Earth's lithosphere that make up the tectonic plates?
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Which type of stress results in a reverse fault with the hanging wall moving up relative to the footwall?
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What term refers to the place where tectonic plates come together and meet?
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In which type of plate boundary would you most likely find a strike-slip fault?
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What type of stress causes a normal fault to form?
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At what type of boundary are normal faults typically found?
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Which type of fault is caused by compressional stress?
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What type of movement characterizes a strike-slip fault?
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Where does the hanging wall move in a reverse fault?
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Which boundary type is associated with strike-slip faults?
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"Thrust faults" are another name for which type of fault?
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What fills the gap created by two blocks moving apart in a normal fault?
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Study Notes
Earth's Crust and Tectonic Plates
- Earth's crust is made up of giant slabs of rock in the lithosphere, which are in slow, constant motion due to convection currents underneath the surface.
- There are seven large, major tectonic plates: African, Antarctic, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, North American, Pacific, and South American.
- Minor tectonic plates also exist, and all plates come together to form a large puzzle that makes up Earth's crust.
Plate Boundaries and Faults
- The place where two tectonic plates come together and meet is a plate boundary.
- Depending on the motion of plates at a plate boundary, a specific type of fault is formed.
- A fault is a fracture in rocks that make up Earth's crust.
- Scientists classify faults into three types: normal faults, reverse faults, and strike-slip faults.
Hanging Wall and Footwall
- On one side of a fault, there is a block of rock known as the hanging wall.
- On the other side of a fault, there is another block of rock known as the footwall.
- Depending on the type of fault, the hanging wall moves above or below the footwall.
Causes of Faults
- Faults are caused by stress, which is formed by the immense amount of pressure that builds up between two blocks of rock.
- There are three types of stress that can form along a fault: compressional stress, shear stress, and tensional stress.
Types of Faults
- Normal faults are formed by tensional stress, where two blocks of rock move away from each other.
- Reverse faults are formed by compressional stress, where two blocks of rock push against each other.
- Strike-slip faults are formed by shear stress, where two blocks of rock slide past each other.
- Normal faults and reverse faults are classified as dip-slip faults, while strike-slip faults are classified differently.
Normal Faults
- Normal faults form along divergent boundaries, where two tectonic plates separate from each other.
- The hanging wall moves downward below the footwall in a normal fault.
Reverse Faults
- Reverse faults form at convergent boundaries, where two tectonic plates come together.
- The hanging wall rises and moves upward above the footwall in a reverse fault.
Strike-Slip Faults
- Strike-slip faults occur along transform boundaries.
- The San Andreas Fault in California is an example of a transform boundary.
- Strike-slip faults can be either left-lateral or right-lateral, depending on the direction of movement.
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Description
Test your knowledge about Earth's tectonic plates and faults with this quiz. Learn about the different tectonic plates that make up Earth's crust and their movements.
