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Glite Dictionary
common fault

common fault

7.8
A break in rock where the top part moves down past the lower part
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : falla normal
  • The diagram illustrates how the hanging wall in a common fault slips downward relative to the footwall.

Examples

  • Geologists identified a common fault running through the valley, indicating significant tectonic movement.

  • The common fault in this area is well-documented.

  • A common fault is often associated with areas where the crust is being pulled apart.

  • Many geologists study the common faults in the region.

  • A common fault is often associated with areas where the crust is being pulled apart.

  • Geologists identified a common fault running through the valley, indicating significant tectonic movement.

  • The diagram illustrates how the hanging wall in a common fault slips downward relative to the footwall.

Synonyms

normal fault
vscommon fault
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A sloping break in the Earth's crust where the upper side moves down past the lower side

has the same geological meaning but uses a more general phrasing
gravity fault
vscommon fault
  • Specialized
8.7

A sloping break in rock where the upper block moves down because of its weight

describes the inclined movement without naming its cause

Surface Forms

common fault singular
common faults plural

Morphology

common + fault

While 'common' + 'fault' might be interpreted by a learner as 'a fault that is frequent or ordinary', the given definition specifies a precise geological orientation (hanging wall moved downward) that is a technical sense not derivable from the constituent meanings. A B1 learner who knows 'common' and 'fault' would not be able to predict this specialized structural meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Common fault may come from a simple rock picture: one block called the hanging wall slips down beside the lower footwall, like a step falling. So the name describes a fault where the upper block has moved 'down' compared with the lower block.