How can you tell the difference betweeen a normal fault from a reverse fault? In a normal fault, the rock or land slides down. And in a reverse fault, the land moves up. If I was looking at a diagram of a fault, how can I tell if its a normal fault or a reverse fault?

-- Keophakone Mune-Ath (Keomuneath@hotmail.com), May 02, 2001

Answers

You can tell the difference between a reverse and a normal fault, because when you look at the fault, you look from left to right. If the layers on the right side of the fault appear to have moved up compared to the layers on the left of the fault line, then it is a reverse fault. But if the layers on the right look as though they have moved down compared to the layers on the left of the fault line, then it is a reverse fault. Just follow the different layers across the paper from left to right, and see which way the layers on the right have moved. If you need more help with this, I looked it up and you could find diagrams and an explanation on page 223 of the text book.

-- Kathleen Belus (puuhbear419@yahoo.com), May 02, 2001.

You have to be given a diagram of a cross-section. If it is a normal fault, the rocks would slip down. If it were a reverse fault, the rock on top would have slipped upwards.

-- Erika Eldred (ere9456@hotmail.com), May 04, 2001.