Faults

The fault lines where earthquakes occur can be classified into four different types depending on the movement of the rocks on either side.

NORMAL: where two blocks of crust pull apart, creating a valley or Mid Ocean Ridge. Eg. East African Rift Zone

‘Normal Fault’ Activity

REVERSE: where one of the blocks of crust slides on top of the other, often found in plate collision zones where the plates push together to create mountain ranges. Eg. Himalayas and the Rocky Mountains

‘Reverse Fault’ Activity

STRIKE SLIP: where the two blocks of crust are sliding past each other on the horizontal plane. Eg. San Andreas Fault.

‘Strike-Slip Fault’ Activity