Fault types

Faults types are catorgorised by how the tectonic plates have moved relative to one another. 'Normal' faulting occurs, when the hangingwall block moves down with respect to the lower footwall block while the 'reverse' fault is the reverse - the hangingwall block moves up and over the footwall block. Blocks may also move sideways past each other, this ‘strike-slip’ movement is described as sinistral when the far side moves to the left, and dextral, when the far side moves to the right. Most faults are a combination of fault types.