Scribd
Upload
66 views

Thrust Faults

The document discusses thrust faults, which are low-angle reverse faults that form in compressional settings. Thrust faults put older rocks on top of younger rocks and cause folding and shortening of the rock layers. There are two main types of thrust faults - thin-skinned thrusts that involve only sedimentary rocks, and thick-skinned thrusts that cut into basement rocks. Examples of major thrust belts are provided along with terminology used to describe thrust fault structures.

Uploaded by

Jishin jalaj
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
66 views

Thrust Faults

The document discusses thrust faults, which are low-angle reverse faults that form in compressional settings. Thrust faults put older rocks on top of younger rocks and cause folding and shortening of the rock layers. There are two main types of thrust faults - thin-skinned thrusts that involve only sedimentary rocks, and thick-skinned thrusts that cut into basement rocks. Examples of major thrust belts are provided along with terminology used to describe thrust fault structures.

Uploaded by

Jishin jalaj
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 36

BINCY H S

S2 MSc GEOLOGY
82716611006
 Introduction
 Why study the thrust faults?
 Thrust faults
 Terms for thrust surfaces
 Dynamics of thrust motion
 Structural patterns along thrust motion
 Examples of major thrust faults
 Associated Folds
 Major types
 Summary
Fig (a), Source:google images
 Reverse faults and thrust faults are similar
in that the hanging wall has moved upward
relative to the foot wall
 Reverse fault - dip >45˚
 Thrust fault – dip <45˚
 Overthrust - low angle thrust faults along
which the net slip is large, generally in
miles.
 They are very damaging. Host of the largest
and potentially most destructive
earthquakes.
 Associated with mountain building and
collisional tectonics
 Influence positions of ore deposits and
hydrocarbons
Fig : (b), Source:google images
 Low angle thrust faults - young folded
mountain belts throughout the world
 Displacement – several miles
 Frequently thick accumulation of
sedimentary rocks in deformed geosynclinal
belts.
 Fault zones – may be extremely complex
zones or simple relatively smooth surfaces
The degree of complexity is related to:

 Lithology,
 temperature,
 strainrate,
 confining pressure(depth),
 Amount of pore pressure developed in
water contained in the rocks.
• Foreland : area in front of the thrust belt
• Hinterland : area behind the thrust belt
• Imbricate fan: Individual thrust sheets overlap
like roofing tiles
• Duplex: system of imbricate thrusts that branch
off from a single fault below and merge with a
thrust fault above. The rock body bounded by
faults above and below is called a horse
• Ramps & Flats: Faults consist of flats parallel to
bedding (surface of weakness) and ramps where
the fault cuts across the bedding
Fig (c),Source:Google Images
(i) Branch Line:
line of intersection between two thrust
faults
(ii) Branch Point:
Branch line intersects the (a)erosional
surface or (b) plane of cross-section
(iii) Splay:
secondary thrusts originating from main
thrust[rejoining splay(S),connecting
splay(C),isolated splay(IS),divergent splay(DS)]-
also called imbricates.
Fig (d), Source:google images
 Fig (e), Thrust fault(source : internet access)
 Thrustfaults may consist of breccia – free
zones- the rock on either side has been
highly ductile or the friction along the fault
has been very low

 Deepthrust – large component of lithostatic


pressure normal to the fault plane

 This
pressure promote ductility – inhibit
breccia development-increase in volume
 Difficultto determine the dip of a fault
where it crops out due to :

*complication of fault zone

*folding and subsidiary faults accompany a


major fault

* zones are usually susceptible to erosion


 Inregions of high relief, recognized by the
deflection of the fault trace

 The fault trace – V shape in stream valleys

 In case of extremely low dips parts of the


thrust mass may become isolated as
klippes(most frequently older rocks thrust
onto younger rocks)
Three principal types of structures are
responsible for bringing isolated masses;
 Thrusting followed by erosion and the
development of klippes

 Folding resulting in formation of nappes

 Mass movement or gravitational sliding


 Conditions of thrust movement include
overcoming
Frictional resistance to sliding on the
basal fault surface
Gravitational forces resulting from the
mass of the sheet
Hypothesis supporting thrust movement
include;
(i)Gravity sliding hypothesis
(ii)Fluid pressure hypothesis
 Multiple sub parallel faults are characteristic
 Single fault trace: followed into numerous
branches some of which may rejoin the
master fault whereas others die out in folds,
along bedding, or at transverse faults.
 Tear faults are followed by thrusts
Thrust may emerge at the
surface of the earth and the
upper plate may ride out over
an erosion surface
Thrust may be folded
 Easily reccognised because older rocks rest
on younger rocks.
 Some faults may follow bedding planes for
long distances
 Sometimes the upper plate is pushed up the
fault plane these are bedding thrust
 In some instances the upper plate may move
down the fault plane- detachment faults it is
difficult to distinguish(little or no throw)
 Fault bend folds
 Detachment folds
 Fault propagation
fold

Fig (g), Source:google


images
 (i)Thin skinned thrust faults
 thrusts developed in sedimentary basins
 Basement may act as a basement
detachment
 Basement is not involved
 Typical leading edges of comprehensive
orogens
 (ii)Thick skinned thrust faults
Thick skinned thrust cut upward
through the basement and propagate through
the sediment
Thick skinned thrust faults usually
steepen upwards and are covered by drape
folds

Fig (h): Source :google images


 A nappe or thrust sheet is a large sheetlike body
of rock that has been moved more than 2 km (or
5 km above a thrust fault from its original position.

 Nappes form in compressional tectonic settings


like continental collision zones or on the overriding
plate in active subduction zones.

 Nappes form when a mass of rock is forced


(or "thrust") over another rock mass, typically on a
low angle fault plane.

 The resulting structure may include large-scale


recumbent folds, shearing along the fault
plane, imbricate thrust stacks, fensters and klippe.
Fig (i)Source;google images
 Laramide Thrust Belts
 The Cumberland Overthrust
 The Heart Mountain Thrust
Fig (j) Source:google images
Fig (k), Source:google images
The tectonic genesis of the champion Thrust fault at Lone Rock Point
(Source:2.bp.blogspot.com.)
 Thrust faults are found in compressional
settings
 Repeated stratigraphy, puts older rocks on
top of younger rocks and contracts layering
 They are closely associated with folds and
thrust belts
 two major types of thrust faults- Thin
skinned thrusts, Thick skinned thrusts
 Billings, M P(2011) Structural Geology, 3rd edn.,
PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, pp 214-217.
 Jain ,A .K(2014) An Introduction to Structural
Geology, pp 203-233.
 Badgley, C Peter(1965) Structural and Tectonic
Principles,Harper and Row, New York and John
Weatherhill pp187-249
• Park, R.G.(1997) Foundations of Structural
Geology, Chapman & Hall, pp 95 – 96
• Twiss, R. J. and Moores, E. M. (1992),
Structural Geology, W. H. Freeman & Co.,
New York, 256p
 All
images are from internet acess
 www.google.com
 www.wickipedia.com
THANK
YOU

You might also like