reverse fault
nounGeology.
a fault in which the rock above the fault plane is displaced upward relative to the rock below the fault plane (opposed to normal fault).
Origin of reverse fault
1First recorded in 1885–90
- Compare thrust fault.
Words Nearby reverse fault
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
Scientific definitions for reverse fault
reverse fault
[ rĭ-vûrs′ ]
A geologic fault in which the hanging wall has moved upward relative to the footwall. Reverse faults occur where two blocks of rock are forced together by compression. Compare normal fault. See Note and illustration at fault.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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