Prof.

Madya Mustaffa Kamal Shuib

Jabatan Geologi
Universiti Malaya
Geology

KAEA
PRACT 4 FAULTS
 FAULTS
Shear fractures
Faults
Brittle shear fractures
along which
measurable
displacement has
occurred
 FAULTS
Surface across which measurable
displacement has occurred.
Brittle structure, a fracture on which slip
has occurred.
SCALES

Microfault,

Mesoscopic Fault or
just fault
(handspecimen to
outcrop),

Macro (map scale or

just fault)
Terminology Related to
Type and Geometry:
 Fault zones-
Displacement on
several brittle surfaces
within a definable width.
Shear zones-
Ductile structures along
which displacement
Occurs without
mesascopic loss of
cohesion;
Fault zone
 Anastomosing

 Fault Dip Geometry and Angles:

Listric
The main type of faults
found in extensional
regimes, listric faults can
be defined as curved
normal faults in which the
fault surface in concave
upwards; its dip decreases
with depth.
 These faults also occur in
extension zones where there is a
main detachment fracture
following a curved path rather
than a planar path. Hanging wall
blocks may either rotate and slide
along the fault plane (eg slumps),
or they may pull away from the
main fault, slipping instead only
along the low dipping part of the
fault. Roll-over anticlines will
often form between bedding
planes and the main fault plane as
a result of the flexing between the
two.
Planar
Shallow- <300.
Moderate- 300-600.
Steep >600.

Horst and graben

Fault rock
 Fault rock

Brittle fault rocks

fault breccia (cohesive /
incohesive): >30% angular
fragments
cataclasite (cohesive /
incohesive): <30% angular
fragments
fault gouge: very few
isolated fragments in very
fine matrix
 Basic Fault Rock Types: A variety of
classifications in various books, some general
characteristics described by your book. The
grouping below diverges from your book.
Always remember, when dealing with
classification, if you use a word (i.e.,
classification) that is not widely known, define
it.
Non-cohesive Fault Rocks, "fragmental"
composed of broken materials, disaggregate
easily, unless cemented or compacted
Gouge: fine grained, <1.0 mm,
unconsolidated .
Breccia: > 1.0 mm to several meters.
 Cohesive Fault Rocks: Fragmental rocks,
but dense and cohesive.
Indurated Gouge: compacted < 1.0 mm grain
size.
Breccia: Fragments > 1mm to several meter
in size
Vein-filled cemented Breccia: cemented fault
rock with fragments > 1 mm. Note that
gouges could be cemented but tend not to be
because they are much less permeable than
breccias
Cataclastite: A fragmental but cohesive
(hard, dense) fault rock, usually < 1 cm
particle size. Doesn't disintegrate when hit
with a hammer.
 Ductile fault rocks
Mylonites are zones of strong to
extreme localisation of ductile
deformation.
Localisation tends to decrease
with metamorphic grade:
upper extent ductile regime:
narrow, extremely fine grained
mylonites
deeper: wide shear zones,
gneisses to striped gneisses
(coarse grained)
 Surface texture of Faults
\Fault Surface Ornamentation:
Fault displacement scratches and
otherwise lineates fault surface and
tells us commonly a linear direction
of movement and sometimes and
absolute direction of movement.
Many indicators, some more subtle
than others. Some features below,
others will be discussed as we cover
other fault types and get a better
understanding of mechanics:
 Surface textures of faults

1 Slickensides
(polished surfaces)
2 Slickenlines
(striations); parallel to
most recent(?) slip
vector
 Fault block description
for Non-Vertical
faults:
Hanging wall block-

Foot wall block-

Kinematics
A Geologic classification
1 Based on orientation of slip vector relative to the strike and dip
of a fault
2 Slip determined by the relative displacement of piercing points
that were originally neighbors on opposite faces of a fault.
3 Piercing points mark intersection of a line with a fault
4 The slip vector connects offset piercing points
5 Slip is not the same as "movement" or "displacement"
 Dip-slip fault:
slip vector is parallel
(or anti-parallel) to dip
1 Normal fault:
hanging wall moves
down relative to
footwall
2 Thrust fault:
hanging wall moves
up relative to footwall
reverse
thrust
 Oblique-slip:
combination of strike
slip and dip slip
 Geologic classification

Strike-slip fault:

slip vector is predominantly

horizontal (i.e., parallel or anti-
parallel to the line of strike)
1 Right lateral: in map view
across a fault, a marker is offset
to the right
2 Left lateral: in map view
across a fault, a marker is offset
to the left
Left lateral fault
Right lateral fault
 Why do we need to know
about faults?
Hazards, Economics, Tectonics &
Earth History

WRITE AN ESSSAY ON THE

IMPORTANCE OF FAULTS.
 What Do We Need to Know
about Faults:

Location
Displacement (direction, amount)
Timing
Hydrologic Characteristics
Understanding of Related Structures