Where is the footwall located relative to a fault plane?

Where is the footwall located relative to a fault plane?

• A. Above
• B. Below
• C. On the plane
• D. Neither

Answer: (B)

Think of the fault plane as a boundary that splits rocks into two blocks. The block below that boundary is called the footwall, while the block above is the hanging wall. The term comes from the idea that, if you were standing on the plane, your feet would be on the block beneath it. So the footwall is located below the fault plane. The direction of movement during faulting (upward or downward of the hanging wall relative to the footwall) doesn’t change which side is the footwall.

Think of the fault plane as a boundary that splits rocks into two blocks. The block below that boundary is called the footwall, while the block above is the hanging wall. The term comes from the idea that, if you were standing on the plane, your feet would be on the block beneath it. So the footwall is located below the fault plane. The direction of movement during faulting (upward or downward of the hanging wall relative to the footwall) doesn’t change which side is the footwall.