Fault
Classification
Objective:
Differentiate the
1. epicenter of an earthquake
from its focus;
2. intensity of an earthquake
from its magnitude;
3. active and inactive faults
3
Fault
is a breakage on Earth’s crust. Faults are
structures along which a displacement or
movement is expected to occur. Faults can
be classified according to the length of time
since they last produced an earthquake.
The Philippine Fault Zone is found to be the
spot of great earthquakes based on the
analysis of seismic historic data and recent
seismic events in the region. The identified fault
lines are not the only fault lines existing in the
country. Even though there are numerous faults
in the crust, not all faults that the geologists
have identified can cause earthquakes. In fact,
majority of them will not cause earthquakes.
How can we know if
the fault is active or
inactive?
Active Faults
● They are known to have recently generated
earthquakes within the last 10, 000 years.
● They may still continue to generate
earthquakes.
● The West Valley Fault in the Philippines, the
San Andreas Fault system in California
,U.S.A.,and the Alpine Fault in New Zealand’s
South Island are considered active faults.
● The San Andreas Fault is
a 1300 km boundary
between the Pacific
Plate and the North
American Plate. The fault
has been known for the
occurrence of the 1906
earthquake in San
Francisco, which has a
recorded 7.9 magnitude
and a IX intensity in the
Mercalli Intensity Scale.
● The West Valley Fault is a
100 km active fault that
goes through six cities in
Metro Manila and some
parts of Bulacan, Rizal,
Laguna, and Cavite. An
approximate 7.2
magnitude earthquake,
which is called the
“BigOne”, has the
possibility of occurring
along this fault.
● The Alpine Fault is one of
the world’s major
geological features and
serves as a boundary of
the Pacific Plate and
Australian Plate. It is
about 600 km along the
South Island. It has
produced earthquakes
with a magnitude of 8.0
in past events.
Inactive Faults
● They have not moved to produce earthquake
in the last 10, 000 years.
● They do not show signs of ever having
generated an earthquake.
● An example of an inactive fault is the fault
found in Tsuruga, Japan. According to a team
of international experts, the fault near Tsuruga
has no evidence of ever being active. They
also found several layers of sediment and
volcanic ash on top of the fault that have
remained uninterrupted for more than 127000
years.
● The fault in Tsuruga,
Japan, (blacklines) is
considered as an
inactive fault because
there has not been any
record of fault
interruption in the area
for the past 127,000
years.
Types of Faults
Reverse faults form when the hanging wall moves
up. The forces creating reverse faults are
compressional, pushing the sides together.
● This is commonly happens in places with
compressed land surfaces, such as the
Himalayas mountain range in Asia and the
Alps mountain range in Europe.
Normal faults form when the hanging wall drops
down. The forces that create normal faults are pulling
the sides apart, or extensional.A well-known example
of a normal fault is the San Andreas Fault located in
California,U.S.A.
Strike-slip faults have walls that move sideways, not
up or down. The most common fault systems in the
country are strike-slip faults, including the Philippine
Fault System in Central Luzon and the Marikina
Valley Fault System.
DO YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTION OR
CLARIFICATION?
Thank
you!
19
