If an earthquake occurs, a fault line will break through to the surface. If you see a rock layer where a fault?
Aug 17, 2010
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Earthquake Questions
If an earthquake occurs, a fault line will break through to the surface. If you see a rock layer where a fault line does not continue to the surface, what has happened?
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2 comments
Turbidite on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
Although post tectonic deposition may have covered the fault, an alternative explanation is that the fault break did not propagate to the surface. In southern California this is known as a Blind Thrust where all the movement along the fault plane is below the surface. Not sure what the name of a fault with both subsurface movement and surface movement would be, but Breached Blind Thrust is my proposal.
Geology Rock Star on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
a rock layer was deposited on top of the fault (and an earthquake can still occur on this fault)