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2 | Faults 1, 2,
3, 4, 5
Faults:
A USGS Teacher's Lesson
Concept Development -
Part 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?
- Explain that this type
of fault is known as a normal fault.
- Have students label their
drawing "normal fault."
- 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
- 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?
- Explain that this type
of fault is known as a thrust fault.
- Have students label their
drawing "thrust fault."
- A thrust fault produced
the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The thrusting movement raised the
mountatins in the area by as much as 70 cm.
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