What is footwall rock?
(ˈfʊtˌwɔːl) n. (Geological Science) the rocks on the lower side of an inclined fault plane or mineral vein.
What is a footwall block in geology?
Footwall meaning The block of rock lying under an inclined geologic fault plane. (geology) The section of rock that extends below a diagonal fault line (the corresponding upper section being the hanging wall). noun. The side beneath an inclined fault, vein, lode, or other type of ore body. noun.
What is the footwall in a fault?
When rocks slip past each other in faulting, the upper or overlying block along the fault plane is called the hanging wall, or headwall; the block below is called the footwall. The fault strike is the direction of the line of intersection between the fault plane and Earth’s surface.
What is a footwall in an earthquake?
How do you identify the footwall and hanging wall?
To determine which is which, visualize yourself creating a mine in along the fault plane. The block below your feet is the footwall, and the one upon which you would hang your miner’s lamp is the hanging wall. It is that simple. Strike-slip faults are vertical and thus do not have hanging walls or footwalls.
What is horst and graben in geography?
Horst and Graben (valley and range) refers to a type of topography created when the earth’s crust is pulled apart. As the crust is strained in this way, normal faults develop and blocks of the crust drop down to form grabens, or valleys. The end result of this is a vast landscape of alternating valleys and ridges.
Which is the best definition of foliation in geology?
Foliation (geology) Gneiss, a foliated metamorphic rock. Foliation in geology refers to repetitive layering in metamorphic rocks. Each layer can be as thin as a sheet of paper, or over a meter in thickness.
What does the word foot wall mean in geology?
foot·wall. (fo͝ot′wôl′) n. Geology. 1. The mass of rock underlying a mineral deposit in a mine. 2. The underlying block of a fault having an inclined fault plane. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
What is the footwall of a fault called?
In fault …block below is called the footwall. The fault strike is the direction of the line of intersection between the fault plane and the surface of the Earth. The dip of a fault plane is its angle of inclination measured from the horizontal.
How is foliation related to the formation of metamorphic rocks?
Foliation (geology) Nonfoliated metamorphic rocks are typically formed in the absence of significant differential pressure or shear. Foliation is common in rocks affected by the regional metamorphic compression typical of areas of mountain belt formation ( orogenic belts ).