VHP Photo Glossary: Faults
Fault
Faults are fractures or fracture zones in the Earth's crust along which one side moves with respect to the other. A fault scarp is a cliff or steep slope that sometimes forms along the fault at the surface. There are many types of faults (for example, strike-slip, normal, reverse, and thrust faults) ranging in size from a few tens of meters to hundreds of kilometers in dimension.Aerial view toward the NE of the Pu`u Kapukapu fault scarp (maximum height about 320 m) in the Hilina fault system, south flank of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai`i. In Hawai`i, these tall cliffs are called "pali's".
More about faults
- More photos of faults
- Summary of the 1975 Kalapana earthquake beneath the Hilina Fault system on the south flank of Kilauea Volcano.