Geology: Earthquakes and Faults

What causes the shaking of the Earth's surface during an earthquake?

Normal faults occur when the blocks of crust are pushed together.

What are the three types of faults discussed?

The __________ fault has the upper side moving downward with respect to the footwall.

Match the type of fault with its description:

What is the primary reason for the development of stress along faults?

The Ring of Fire is associated with trenches and subduction zones surrounding the Atlantic Ocean.

Name one example of a strike-slip fault.

Earthquakes and Faults

Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere.
This energy is stored within the Earth's crust as stress builds up along faults.
Faults are fractures in the Earth's crust where rocks on either side have moved past each other.
Movement along faults can be horizontal or vertical.
The amount of movement along a fault determines the magnitude of the earthquake.
Earthquakes are a common occurrence along the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire.
The Ring of Fire is a zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity that surrounds the Pacific Ocean.

Types of Faults

Strike-slip faults involve horizontal movement along a fault plane.
- Examples include the San Andreas Fault in California and the Anatolian Fault in Turkey.
Normal faults occur when two blocks of crust pull apart, extending the crust.
- The hanging wall (upper block) moves downward relative to the footwall (lower block).
Reverse faults, also known as thrust faults, involve one block of crust sliding on top of another.
- These faults are common in collision zones where tectonic plates push up mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas and Rocky Mountains.

Explore the causes and types of earthquakes in this quiz on geology. Learn about the dynamics of faults, the impact of stress accumulation, and the significance of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Test your knowledge on strike-slip, normal, and reverse faults.