Hanging Fault Wall

Hanging wall and footwall the two sides of a non vertical fault are known as the hanging wall and footwall.

Hanging fault wall.

The block below is called the footwall. They intersect often creating very complex fault patterns. Two families of hanging wall faults develop in accordance with coulomb s law. A mass of rock overhanging a fault plane.

The hanging wall occurs above the fault plane and the footwall occurs below it. The hanging wall experiences flexural bending which creates extension which in turn creates normal faults. This terminology comes from mining. When the fault plane is vertical there is no hanging wall or footwall.

The fault strike is the direction of the line of intersection between the fault plane and earth s surface. Where the fault plane is sloping as with normal and reverse faults the upper side is the hanging wall and the lower side is the footwall. The overlying block of a fault having an inclined fault plane. The fault strike is the direction of the line of intersection between the fault plane and earth s surface.

The dip of a fault plane is its angle of inclination measured from the horizontal. The underside of the wall rock overlying a vein or bed of ore compare footwall def. When working a tabular ore body the miner stood with the footwall under his feet and with the hanging wall above him. The dip of a fault plane is its angle of inclination measured from the horizontal.

In fault fault plane is called the hanging wall or headwall. Hanging wall definition is the upper or overhanging wall of an inclined vein fault or other geologic structure opposed to footwall. Its strike and its dip. Any fault plane can be completely described with two measurements.