- 2072 Chaitra · 2 marks
Fault versus thrust
Short answer
A thrust is a low-angle reverse fault (dip < 45°) where the hanging wall moves up over the footwall under compression, pushing older rocks over younger. A fault is any fracture with displacement, regardless of dip or stress type.
How do you differentiate fault and thrust?
| Point | Fault | Thrust |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Fracture with relative displacement of rock blocks, any type | A special type of low-angle reverse fault |
| Dip of plane | Any (low to vertical) | Low angle, less than 45° |
| Movement | Normal, reverse, strike-slip or oblique | Hanging wall moves up and over the foot wall |
| Stress | Tension, compression or shear | Compression |
| Result | Younger/older rocks may be juxtaposed | Older rocks pushed over younger rocks |
| Example | Normal fault in graben | Main Central Thrust, Main Boundary Thrust of Nepal |
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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