What occurs when the hanging wall moves down relative to a footwall?
Answer (3)
A normal fault is occuring
The answer is normal fault . A normal fault occurs when the hanging wall falls below the footwall and where there are extension forces on the fault in the crust. These forces lengthen the faulted section of rock. This is unlike in reverse fault that shortens the faulted section of rock and forces the hanging wall to move up in relation to the footwall. An example of a normal fault is the Great Rift Valley in Africa.
When the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall, it forms a normal fault caused by extensional forces pulling the crust apart. This movement creates geological features like mountains and valleys, evident in places like the Great Rift Valley. Understanding normal faults provides insight into how tectonic forces shape the Earth's surface.
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