Thrust Fault Hanging Wall

The hanging wall composed of extended thinned and brittle crustal material can be cut by numerous normal faults.

Thrust fault hanging wall.

Diagram showing how one section of land slips over another in a thrust fault. These either merge into the detachment fault at depth or simply terminate at the detachment fault surface without shallowing. The lewis overthrust is a geologic thrust fault structure of the rocky mountains found within the bordering national parks of glacier in montana united states and waterton lakes in alberta canada. Other articles where thrust fault is discussed.

Thrust faults are reverse faults that dip less than 45. A thrust fault has the same sense of motion as a reverse fault but with the dip of the fault plane at less than 45. According to mechanical models of. The unloading of the footwall can lead to isostatic uplift and doming of the more ductile material beneath.

Flat segments of thrust fault planes are known as flats and inclined sections of the thrust are known as ramps. Thrust faults typically form ramps flats and fault bend hanging wall and footwall folds. This is not however a hard and fast distinction. A thrust or a reverse fault is a dipping fault whose hanging wall is translated up dip.

The hanging wall moves up and over the footwall. Generally when the fault dips less than 45 it s called a thrust fault steeper faults are called reverse faults. Thrust faults with a very low angle of dip. Reverse dip slip faults result from horizontal compressional forces caused by a shortening or contraction of earth s crust.