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fault zone

American

noun

Geology.

a network of interconnected fractures representing the surficial expression of a fault.

Etymology

Origin of fault zone

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The petition said the plant sits on an active seismic fault zone and noted it was struck by a strong quake in 2007.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

The Elsinore fault zone runs from the Sonoran Desert in Imperial County through the western edge of Riverside County communities like Temecula, Murrieta and Lake Elsinore.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

She next joined the Quaternary Research Center at the University of Washington, where her work included documenting the fault zone that runs through Seattle.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2024

The zone of intense tearing created fragmented, weakened crust, setting the geologic stage for the modern Seattle fault zone.

From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2024

"You can count on that. This is a big fault zone for earthquakes."

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023