Home | Session 2 | Faults 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Faults: A USGS Teacher's Lesson

Concept Development - Part 1

  1. Ask the following questions:

    a. Which way did point B move relative to point A?

    b. What happened to rock layers X, Y, and Z?

    c. Are the rock layers still continuous?

    d. What likely happened to the river? the road? the railroad tracks?

    e. Is this type of fault caused by tension, compression, or shearing?

  2. Explain that this type of fault is known as a normal fault.
  3. Have students label their drawing "normal fault."
  4. Normal faults are common in Nevada, part of a region called the Basin and Range Province where the lithosphere is stretching.

Exploration Phase - Part 2
Have students develop a model of a thrust fault. Instructions to students:

a. Locate points C and D on your model. Move Point C next to point D. Observe the cross-section of your model.

b. Draw the thrust fault as represented by the model you just constructed.

Concept Development - Part 2

  1. Ask the following questions:

    a. Which way did point D move relative to point C?

    b. What happened to rock layers X, Y, and Z?

    c. Are the rock layers still continuous?

    d. What likely happened to the river? the road? the railroad tracks?

    e. Is this type of fault caused by tension, compression, or shearing?

  2. Explain that this type of fault is known as a thrust fault.
  3. Have students label their drawing "thrust fault."
  4. A thrust fault produced the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The thrusting movement raised the mountatins in the area by as much as 70 cm.

Top Next Page

updated January 28, 2002

UCMP Home  |   What's new  |   About UCMP  |   History of Life  |   Collections  |   Subway

Copyright symbol