thrust fault

noun

, Geology.

1. a low-angle reverse fault produced in rocks subjected to thrust.

thrust fault

noun

1. a fault in which the rocks on the upper side of an inclined fault plane have been displaced upwards, usually by compression; a reverse fault

thrust fault

1. A reverse fault in which the fault plane is inclined at an angle equal to or less than 45°.
2. See Note at fault

Word History and Origins

Origin of thrust fault¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Take the Puente Hills thrust fault system, which was linked to several quakes this year centered in El Sereno, a neighborhood on Los Angeles’ Eastside.

From Los Angeles Times

Monday’s magnitude 4.4 quake that rattled Southern California is believed to have struck on a well-known and dangerous fault system known as the Puente Hills thrust fault system.

From Los Angeles Times

Both the Puente Hills thrust fault and the Lower Elysian Park thrust fault are buried and don’t reach the surface of Earth.

From Los Angeles Times

We should not expect that the thrust fault below each scarp has moved only once.

From Salon

Quakes along underwater thrust faults, in which one side gets pushed up higher than the other, are thought to be the main culprit, because the vertical motion can induce a wave in the water above.

From Los Angeles Times