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Tilted block faulting, also called rotational block faulting, is a mode of structural evolution in extensional tectonic events, a result of tectonic plates stretching apart. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] When the upper lithospheric crust experiences extensional pressures, the brittle crust fractures, creating detachment faults . [ 3 ]
Lifted fault-block geology Tilted fault-block formation in the Teton Range. Fault-block mountains often result from rifting, an indicator of extensional tectonics. These can be small or form extensive rift valley systems, such as the East African Rift zone. Death Valley in California is a smaller example.
The Motagua Fault, which crosses through Guatemala, is a transform boundary between the southern edge of the North American plate and the northern edge of the Caribbean plate. New Zealand's Alpine Fault is another active transform boundary. The Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault which runs through the Jordan River Valley in the Middle East.
The Basin and Range Province in the western United States is an extensive region of alternating valleys and ridges caused by horst and graben as well as tilted block faulting. [ 1 ] The Condroz and Ardennes regions of Wallonia are good examples of a succession of horst and graben.
This is in distinction to folded regions such as some mountain chains of Eurasia. [2] The Midcontinent Rift System in North America is marked by a series of horsts extending from Lake Superior to Kansas. [12] The Rwenzori Mountains in the East African Rift are an upthrown fault block, and are the highest non-volcanic, non-orogenic mountains in ...
When a fault block is raised or tilted, a block mountain can result. [17] Higher blocks are called horsts, and troughs are called grabens. A spreading apart of the surface causes tensional forces. When the tensional forces are strong enough to cause a plate to split apart, it does so such that a center block drops down relative to its flanking ...
They range in width from somewhat less than 100 km up to several hundred km, consisting of one or more normal faults and related fault blocks. [2] In individual rift segments, one polarity (i.e. dip direction) normally dominates, giving a half-graben geometry. [6] Other common geometries include metamorphic core complexes and tilted blocks.
Fault scarps are exposed on the horst block and expose the footwall of the normal fault. This is a type of block faulting known as grabens and horsts. This basin and range topography is symmetrical having equal slopes on both sides of the valleys and mountain ranges. Timelapse of tilted block faulting